Secrets
by StarkBlack
Summary: Zoro isn't into one night stands, but he can't resist the blond with the piercing blue eyes. Warnings: boyxboy, language, OOCness, mentions of drug use.
1. Chapter 1

This is a birthday fic I did for bookworm_rach08. She just happens to be my sister's best friend in RL, and one of my first readers ever. xD This idea sort of blossomed in my head a couple weeks ago, and I thought she would like it. My goal for this story was to keep it under five chapters and I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID IT! Yay for setting goals and actually making them!

The whole thing is finished, but I'm posting a chapter a day, just to keep a little suspense. :D If you lovely readers make good on the reviews, I promise I'll reward you with a smex-filled epilogue. Muahaha.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"Just shut it all down but the core unit right here. Run the defrag, or whatever the hell you techies do, overnight. If you can get the system up and running by Thursday without any kinks, we can run the awards show this weekend, and I won't have to cut off your fingers."

The red haired, freckled-face, technician stared wide-eyed at Zoro from behind thick glasses. The fact that he thought Zoro was serious made Zoro want to grin like a maniac, but like his best friend, Chopper had told him on several occasions, Zoro knew that scaring his employees was not the most effective way to get a job done.

"Thursday," Zoro repeated. "Now shut it off so we can go home."

The techie nodded and turned back to the multiple computer screens. He systematically started shutting things down and Zoro turned to leave the room. Zoro was in charge of all things that went on behind the scenes at the event center, but that did not mean that he had any fucking idea how to work the computer aspect of it all. Give him a stage and some good old fashioned black curtains and lighting, and Zoro could put on a show single-handedly. Set it up digitally, however, and Zoro was forced to hire pimpled, pony-tailed nerds that still lived with their mamas at fucking thirty-five.

Zoro preferred the low-tech way, but obviously the money was in the big gigs, and if Zoro had a good crew beneath him, he could put on a fucking kick-ass show.

Turning off the lights, Zoro locked his office and started down the corridor towards the main stairway. _The Grand_ was an old theater, recently renovated and set dead center in Manhattan's arts and culture district. In the last three years, and most notably in the past year since Zoro had taken his job as head of security and eventually event organizer, the theater had risen to make the list of New Yorks' top venues. In the fall when _The Times'_ review came out, _The Grand_ had surged from number nine, to number four, just beating out _Actor's Studio_ and _The Hippodrome_. It was an almost unrealistic feat, but Zoro wasn't done. He planned on taking it all the way. He planned on being number one.

"Hey, Zoro!"

Zoro turned and nodded his head of security officer as he dashed up the stairs two at a time. The dark-skinned man jogged to catch up, still pulling on his coat and fishing his beanie hat from his pocket.

"You said _Alabaster_ was okay tonight, right?"

"Yeah," Zoro replied. "Bartender at _The Lobby_ on Tuesdays fucking blows."

"I know, right? He waters 'em down."

Law was a cool dude. Zoro had known him since high school. He had disappeared for a few years when Zoro had first started college, but the two had bumped into each other in The District last summer. Law was sporting a few more tats, and several extra piercings, but he was still the same guy: honest, reliable, and down for both working and partying hard. Zoro had gotten him the job at _The Grand_ and they had hit it off ever since.

It also helped that Law had turned out to be gay: painfully, flamboyantly, rainbow t-shirt wearing Gay. Not that Zoro had anything against straight people, quite the contrary in fact, it was just nice to surround himself with people of similar interest. Something he hadn't had while growing up.

Texting rapidly, Law shouted over the railing to the small group standing together in the lobby.

"Hey, jerk-offs! Somebody called a cab already or what?"

Several heads turned up, one gave Law the finger. Nami, Zoro's accounts manager whom everyone jokingly referred to as "The Fence", tucked her short, red hair behind her ear and called up to them.

"Called 'em five minutes ago! Where the hell are we going again?"

Law, still texting, slid down the banister ahead of Zoro and landed on the lobby floor with a flourish. "Alabaster. Zoro said it was okay."

Nami's eyes widened. "Really? You're okay with that, Zoro? I thought you had a problem with trannies."

The group headed for the door. Kaku, a part time stage technician, chuckled into his sleeve. "It's not trannies he's got a problem with. It's Don Q."

"Who the crap is Don Q?" Franky, another technician, asked.

Nami grinned over her shoulder as they made their way out the revolving doors. "He's a bar tender at _Alabaster_."

"He's had a hard on for Zoro since forever." Law was still texting as he spoke. "Dude's obsessed. He's got a shrine to Zoro in his bedroom and ev-"

"Will you knock it off?" Zoro growled. "He doesn't have a shrine, he's just… pushy."

"Yeah," Law giggled, "pushy and obsessed."

"Hey, baby," Nami said sweetly into her phone. "You coming out with us tonight?"

Zoro saluted to the group as the four headed toward the taxi parked at the curb. He had to stay behind and lock the doors, then go back around behind to the employee lot. Driving was hell in Manhattan, even if you had a motorcycle, but Zoro loved his bike. He had fixed her from basically scrap metal as a high school senior project. He had started with a rusted backbone and had finished with a sleek, black and green, modified version of a Z1000. It had everything: four-stroke, liquid cooled DOHC, four 38mm Keihin throttle bodies, TCBI Digital Advance ignition… There were four material possessions in this world that Zoro would kill for, and this was one of them.

Revving the engine, Zoro pulled his helmet on and kicked her into gear. He sped off down the street, heading for the flashiest, most raunchy gay bar in The District.

* * *

><p>In Zoro's opinion there are three kinds of gay bars, or clubs really, (it seemed like there was no such thing as a gay establishment that was strictly a "bar" anymore). Where there are gay people and drinks, there is always a dance floor which in Zoro's mind means, that it is in fact, a club.<p>

The first type of "gay club" was a place like _Skypedia_. It was labeled "gay bar" but half the people that came through the doors were straight folk that were tired of being molested in regular bars. Hordes of straight girls that just wanted to dance with pretty boys and not have to worry about getting Rufied or attacked in a bathroom, filled the dance floors. You could find the occasional straight man there, but ninty-nine percent of the time, he was either with a girl, or he just hadn't come out yet.

The second type of gay club was so very obviously gay, that straight people were often intimidated. The music wasn't quite as popular, more classic stuff than anything else, and biker dykes and trannies roamed freely. Guys wouldn't have a problem taking off most clothing and dancing all but naked against railings, and the night was periodically punctuated by amateur drag shows. There were a few clubs like that in The District: _Seven_ and _The Lobby_ were a few. Zoro liked _The Lobby_, Franky and Kaku worked part time there, Kaku as a bartender, and Franky as a bouncer.

The third type of gay club was the type Zoro wasn't really into. This third type was almost like a slap in the face. These clubs were few and far between, but they were infamous. These clubs were where you could take your Gay out and flaunt it. It was almost like it was mandatory to be particularly obnoxious to make up for social stigmas over the past few thousand years. _Alabaster_ was a place like this. _Alabaster_ had strippers: tranny, dyke, vanilla, whatever. It had drag shows, fetish shows, even a public sex license and a rumored brothel upstairs. Zoro didn't know how much of those rumors were actually true, but he did know that prostitutes, pimps, and pushers buzzed around _Alabaster_ like flies around a fresh pile of shit. When Zoro walked into the place, he immediately felt dirty.

However, he tolerated it because the damn place served the best goddamned drinks in the entire fucking city.

The smell of cigarettes, sweat, and alcohol-saturated sex filled the air as Zoro bypassed the line and walked right up to the bouncer. Lucci was a big guy, six foot five, or six. Zoro wasn't good with racial profiles, but if he had to guess, Lucci was probably Russian, mixed with some kind of Northern barbarian tribal background. The dude was fucking scary, and always immaculate in his black suit and white tie.

"What up, Lucci," Zoro said softly.

Lucci nodded, never one to speak if he didn't have to, and lifted the rope for Zoro. The green-haired man moved inside, and the smell tripled in potency. Strippers gyrated inside of cages on either side of the entrance, and a flock of drag queens tittered and waved as Zoro passed them by. The first floor was almost completely dance floor with a bar in the center. Making his way through the throng of people, Zoro headed up to the second level and past lighted platforms complete with stripper poles and naked, writhing flesh.

He moved slowly through the sea of bodies toward his group's regular table. Franky and Kaku had disappeared, no surprise there, and Nami was lip-locked with her girlfriend Vivi, something he didn't particularly want to see since Nami was like his sister, but Vivi was straddling her so really he couldn't see much of Nami anyway.

As he sat, he turned to Law who was talking excitedly to Killer, one of the club's employees. Killer was cool, even for a dancer. His routine was good, and he was definitely nice to look at. He was toned, with nice skin, and blond. Zoro liked blonds. Franky had tried to set Zoro up with Killer once, but it turned out Killer was a bit of a freak. Zoro enjoyed men, he enjoyed sex, but he really wasn't much of a freak, not compared to Franky and Killer anyway.

Law turned to Zoro and pushed a drink across the table. "Got you something to get you started."

Zoro accepted gratefully, nodding to Killer before he turned back to his tattooed friend. "Where's this new boyfriend you said you wanted me to meet?"

Law grinned. "He's on next. We came at just the right time."

Killer smiled at Zoro and ran his hand over his long, blond pony-tail. "He's the most talented newbie we've ever had."

"Oh yeah?" Zoro's eyebrows rose. He wasn't really interested, he was just happy that Law had found someone he really cliqued with.

"Yeah," Killer continued, "and you'd never guess what he does for a living."

Zoro swallowed the last of his drink. "Living? This isn't his living?"

Killer shook his head. "Nope, he dances for fun."

The song began to change, and Law scooted to the end of his seat. He put his elbows on the table and arched his back. Zoro let out a half chuckled as visions of puppies wagging their tails filled his head.

The track changed, a new beat started up, and the dancers rotated platforms. A few left, and three came out from behind the curtained doorway. The last of them caught Zoro's eye. He was a tall, muscled guy with shaggy, black hair. He wore a simple getup of jeans, a black t-shirt, cowboy boots, and a black, wide brimmed hat. He climbed the step to the middle platform and circled the pole.

"I see you picked him out already," Killer chuckled.

Zoro turned away from the dancer to stare wide-eyed at the blond. "_That's_ Law's new man?"

Killer nodded. "That's our Ace."

"Ace?"

"Yeah, that's his real name."

Zoro frowned. The name sounded familiar. He turned back to the platform in time to see Ace take off his hat and hand it to a man sitting at the closest table. People cheered and held bills between waving fingers as Ace made a circle around the pole again.

When the dark-haired man glanced at their table, he smiled, locking eyes with Law for a moment. He had an exceptionally handsome face and a splash of freckles that gave him that friendly, southern boy look.

"Oh, I think I just came in my pants…" Law sighed.

Killer snickered.

They watched as clothes were shed, and lots of tanned, muscled skin was revealed. Zoro had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he had seen this guy before, but he couldn't remember where. He hadn't fucked him, he would have remembered that body. The guy's face, however, Zoro was sure he had seen him before.

When Ace lost the thong, Zoro figured it was time for another drink. He appreciated cock as much as the next guy, but for some reason watching Ace's seemed wrong. He excused himself, without anyone really noticing anyway, and headed for the bar. He ordered three shots and a Dumptruck, the house special. It burned but went down smooth, and it was pretty much the only thing in existence that could get Zoro buzzed.

As he made his way back through the mass of people, he held his drink high and squeezed between two queens wearing feather boas. They tickled his nose and he had to run a hand over his face to get it to stop.

When he opened his eyes, he genuinely almost tripped over his own feet. Moving through the crowd towards him was a blond. He was tall and thin with pale skin. There wasn't anything in particular that set him apart from everyone else, it was more like the entire package was exotic, graceful. He moved like a cat through a patch of tall grass. He was looking to the side, but Zoro could tell even in his profile his expression was melancholy, sad. As Zoro neared him, the blond turned his head to reveal an absolutely gorgeous face. His gaze caught Zoro's and held.

His eyes were so incredibly blue.

They came close, and time seemed to slow. The sound of the thumping music faded into the background, the people around them seemed mere shadows. The blond's eyes bore into his, suddenly taking interest and studying Zoro as intensely as Zoro was studying him. They came together, slid sideways to let each other pass. Their eyes held for a fraction of a second, just enough to turn each other's heads, but then the moment was gone. Zoro had passed him and the blond turned away and kept walking.

Zoro felt light headed. What just happened? Had he really just eye-fucked a guy he'd never seen before in the middle of his least favorite club? _Had HE just been eye-fucked?_

He shook his head and took a swallow of his drink. Holy shit. Holy shit…

Speaking of fucking, Law was practically getting it on with Ace the Dancer when Zoro returned. Ace had his hat and his jeans back on, but the boots and t-shirt were in a small pile on their table. The two were playing some tongue hockey, much to the amusement of Franky and Kaku, who had also returned. Joining them was Drake, another bartender for _The Lobby_, and Kidd, a red-headed psychopath that sometimes worked _Alabaster's_ drag show. He was scary-ass mother-fucker, especially in heels, but apparently he and Law went way back.

"Wow, Zoro," Franky whistled as Zoro sat down. "Looks like you just saw a ghost."

Zoro shook his head. "Negative."

Law pulled away from Ace, whispering softly. There was a lot of whining, and "later baby, later" before Law finally turned and graced Zoro with a wide grin.

"Zoro, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Ace. Ace, baby, this is Zoro."

Ace reached across the table, offering his hand. "Zoro?" he asked, his expression thoughtful.

"Yeah," Zoro gripped his hand. "Do you feel like you know me too?"

Ace nodded. "Where the hell do I know you from?"

A thought occurred to Zoro then. "Wait, what's your last name?"

"Portgus," Ace answered.

Zoro almost dropped his drink. "Holy—You're Luffy's brother!"

Ace's eyes went wide. "Holy shit! I remember you now! Christ, what's it been? Ten, eleven years?"

"Eleven," Zoro said, "Has to be, I'm twenty-two."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kaku asked. "How do you guys know each other?"

"We took martial arts together when we were younger," Zoro explained. "Ace's dad taught the class. It's were I met Luffy. Ace and I were in the same age bracket, so we competed in tournaments together."

"He beat me all the time," Ace grinned.

"You used to be puny," Zoro shrugged.

"So did you."

"What?" Franky asked incredulously. "What's this I hear? Zoro was puny at one time? I have to write this down. Are there pictures? Video evidence of this?"

"Shut up," Zoro growled. "I was like nine."

"It's so awesome to see you again, man," Ace grinned. "What's up with you? What are you doing?"

"Eh," Zoro shrugged, "Kickin' ass and takin' names."

* * *

><p>As distracted as Zoro had been coming back to the table, Ace and Franky kept the night interesting until well passed two. As the group left the club, pulling on jackets and lighting up cigarettes, Zoro got Ace's cell number and promised to meet up sometime for a sparring session. Lucci nodded to them as they left. Zoro noticed that his eyes never strayed far from Kaku's ass, but he said nothing about it.<p>

They had decided to walk back to the apartment Franky shared with Kaku. It wasn't far, and they knew the slow decompression back through the streets would do them good. Franky sang a tune, loudly and in a high pitched tenor. The sound echoed off the brick walls like a chorus of voices. Kaku laughed and smoked, talking quietly with Drake. Ace and Law lingered behind, throwing each other up against walls. When they disappeared behind a large trash bin, Killer snickered and blew smoke out in a ring.

"Couldn't wait to get home, I guess."

"I guess…" Zoro echoed.

Zoro felt a little wobbly. He'd definitely had more to drink than normal. That didn't necessarily mean he was drunk, just… off. His head was still stuck in the memory of piercing blue eyes, and no matter how much alcohol he had consumed that night, it hadn't been able to erase that memory.

Maybe he was also feeling a little sorry for himself. He hadn't gotten laid in a while, and now with Law having Ace, he couldn't even get an easy buddy-fuck.

"Hey," Killer said at his side. "Check that out."

Zoro looked where Killer was pointing, and slowed.

They had just been passing Eighth Street when Killer said something. Eighth was labeled a street, but it was more like an ally. Two hulking buildings flanked each side, and the way was long and dark. All manner of thugs and druggies waited in those shadows. Eighth was like the ass hole of The District. No one, not even Zoro walked that street alone.

Eighth was where you went if you wanted to get gang raped, or killed.

What was currently happening in that dark ally, startled Zoro so profoundly, that the buzz he had been feeling only moments ago, fled, leaving only a hard pulse of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Moria, one of The District's most notorious Fetish Kings, stood just outside the fading glow of a street light. He had one grimy hand kneading the crotch or his leather pants. The other was resting on the brick wall of the building. He was leaning over a slighter figure, half hidden by shadows. Moria was a professional Dom at _Thriller Park_, and specialized in younger boys. He liked making people think he was a vampire by wearing white makeup and custom-made ivory fangs. He had a healthy relationship with coke, and he loved hurting boys on camera. He was notorious for recording a scene and then playing it on the big screen the next night at the fetish bar. It was pretty sick, but Zoro managed to ignore it for the most part, unless Moria happened to put his slimy hands on him or any of his friends. It had happened once, and Zoro had made Moria realize it would never happen again if he wanted all his parts to remain intact.

On any normal day, Zoro wouldn't have given the Dom a second glance. He would have kept his pace, and passed Eighth without another thought. Let the bastard have his weird-ass bondage scenes, it didn't hurt Zoro any.

But not tonight. Zoro moved past Killer and strode into the darkness of the ally. He had never actually set foot on Eighth, but he wasn't exactly thinking straight at the moment. He heard Killer call out from behind him. He heard Franky and Kaku as well, but he didn't understand what they were saying. All he saw, all he heard, was the way Moria's painted lips were turning up into a smile, and his fake mother-fucking vampire fangs glistened as they neared pale skin.

Zoro seethed. He didn't fucking need this.

Zoro took three steps, tucked in his arms, and shoved Moria full on from the side. The fat, psudo-vamp stumbled, slamming into the side of a trash bin. The sound echoed up the brick walls like Franky's song had only a few minutes ago, but this song was much less sweet. Moria righted himself and whirled to face his attacker. When he saw it was Zoro, however, he froze.

"What… What the fuck, man! What the hell do you want!"

Zoro stood quietly, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Get the fuck out of here," Zoro snarled.

"What the fuck! Why do you care-"

"_I said get the fuck out of here!_"

Moria didn't argue. He ran, disappearing down the dark street.

Angry, confused, adrenaline still pumping through him, Zoro turned to the man leaning against the brick wall. His blond hair fell into his blue eyes. His face was slack, almost bored.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Zoro growled.

The blond stared with disinterest at Zoro's shirt. He blinked slowly, shoving his hands further into his pockets.

Zoro really didn't need this.

"So," Zoro growled again, moving closer, "are you crazy, or just stupid? That guy's a fucking psychopath. Do you have any idea what he would have done to you? Where the fuck do you think you are?"

The blond looked at him then. His eyes were cold, not anything like what they had been in the club.

"He wouldn't have done anything to me," he said softly.

Zoro tried not to react to the raspy baritone and moved still closer. "No, that's what Moria does, he throws you some lines about this and that, and the he gets you in his fucking dungeon or whatever and then drugs and beats the shit out of you!"

The blond blinked again, slowly. "It would have never gotten that far. I was about to fuck him up before you showed up." It sounded like he was discussing the weather, or his favorite music.

Zoro bared his teeth, his anger was mounting. "Fine," he said quietly. "Sorry I tried to save your fucking skin. I won't do it again."

He turned to leave, but he felt a pull on his jacket. When Zoro turned back, he saw the blond had his sleeve in a white-knuckle grip. He was looking at the ground but something was softening in his eyes.

"Wait…" he whispered.

Zoro waited.

"I'm sorry…" the blond said, even lower than before. "I'm sorry I was ungrateful…"

Zoro didn't like the way he said that. There was so much pain in this blond's voice, so much loneliness. He remembered the look they had shared in the club, and the more he thought about it, the more Zoro seemed to see desperation in those blue eyes. It was hindsight obviously, but goddamn it, he couldn't get the image out of his head now.

Fuck. He really, _really_ didn't need this.

"Fine," Zoro mumbled. "You're forgiven. Just get the hell out of here. You're just asking for someone to try and fuck you up."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Let 'em try."

Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose and moved to block the view of his friends, who had taken interest in what was happening. They stood at the mouth of the ally, watching as Zoro leaned in close to the blond's lax frame.

"See, that kind of attitude'll get you killed out here. No one comes down this street unless they're looking for trouble."

Those blue eyes that had been watching Zoro's belt, now slid up his chest, very slowly making their way along his neck and up to his face. Zoro felt a tremor run through him, a sudden unbalance as those long lashes blinked lazily at him.

"What if I am looking for trouble?"

Zoro wondered if he had ever heard a voice so sexy. He doubted it. This guy's raspy baritone softened his hard parts and hardened his soft parts. Zoro couldn't help it and leaned an arm against the brick wall for support. He knew if his knees buckled he would never hear the end of it, but fuck, it was about to happen. He cleared his throat and wet his lips, trying to regain some kind of footing.

"You wanna go somewhere? I got a ride."

Slender shoulders pushed off the wall and long legs put that lean body right in Zoro's space. He came so close, Zoro felt the brush of those blond bangs against his forehead. Warm breath ghosted across Zoro's lips.

"Take me to your place?" the blond whispered.

The green-haired man felt a shiver roll up his spine and back down. There was heat in that gaze, power. The intoxicating promise of sex...

"What's your name?"

The blond's mouth twitched. He pulled away and slipped his hands back in his pockets.

"Call me whatever you want…"

They emerged from the ally together. Ace and Law were still nowhere to be seen, but at that point, Zoro really didn't care. Killer watched them with a sly smile.

"Hey guys," Zoro said as he started to head up the street. "My bike's back that way. I'll catch up with you guys on Thursday."

His friends seemed a little stunned, and for good reason. Zoro had never been a one night stand kind of guy. He rarely picked up anyone when they were out. He was the least promiscuous of their group, and usually knew his bed partners for a few weeks before taking them home.

"Okay, boss," Franky said, his surprise slowly giving away to a wide grin. "We'll see you on Thursday."

"Yeah, hey come by The Lobby this weekend," Drake said. "First round's on me."

Zoro saluted, and motioned to the blond to follow. He started to, but then stopped and slid up next to Kaku, who was still staring at him with a slack jaw.

"Hey, can I get a cigarette?" he asked smoothly.

Kaku nodded, pulling out his pack. The blond slid the cigarette between his lips, and bent his head when Kaku offered a light. There was something about the way that mouth moved as he pulled in the smoke, or maybe it was just the way his body leaned in to the flame, or the way those long fingers held that stick so delicately. Whatever it was, it had Zoro wishing he was that cigarette and the blond's lips were around him.

That lithe frame straightened and the blond smiled as he blew out the smoke in a long, thin stream.

"Thank you…"

Zoro moved and slipped his hand underneath an arm. He pulled the thin man away, not giving Kaku time to pull himself back together, not giving any of his friends time to question or tease, or do anything that would delay him longer. Watching the show with the cigarette had sent all the blood in his body to his groin. He wanted the blond now, and he didn't want to have to kill one of his friends out of sheer impatience.

As Zoro disappeared around the corner with his companion, Drake started to snicker at the look still plastered to Kaku's face.

"Nice, Kaku," he teased, "real smooth."

Kaku's wet his lips and tried to swallow. Suddenly his mouth had become very dry.

"I'm kinda' jealous of Zoro right now…"

Franky clapped him on the shoulder and pulled the smaller man along beside him.

"You're not the only one, bro. You're not the only one."

* * *

><p>Zoro's apartment was above The Grand. He lived on the top floor where the old supply and storage had been renovated into a studio, complete with kitchen and enclosed bathroom. It worked out perfectly. The rent was unbeatable, and he was always close to work if something happened to fall apart while he was off.<p>

The blond stood in the doorway, surveying the space.

"It's very clean," he said simply.

Zoro nodded. "I don't like clutter." Moving to drape his jacket over a chair, Zoro paused to think if he should offer his guest anything.

"Hey, do you want-"

Zoro's voice caught in his throat when he turned around. The blond had moved exceptionally fast, closing the space between them. Now he was gazing at Zoro with that same look he had caught the green-haired man in at the club. Zoro's cock twitched and gooseflesh rose across his arms. His heart started to thump in his chest as the blond's hand came up to run gentle fingers over his jaw.

Zoro _so did not need this_.

Grabbing the slender hand, Zoro pulled the other man's thin frame against his. He leaned in and pressed his mouth to the soft lips. He had no idea what to expect, but even if Zoro had tried to expect something, it would have been nowhere near what he got.

He had never been with someone so responsive. The blond picked up Zoro's rhythm and pressed back, his hands running over Zoro's face and through his hair. His tongue slid against Zoro's as they kissed heatedly. Zoro moved down the other man's neck, licking and tasting, practically ripping the shirt from the other man's body. He slid rough hands over tightly muscled flesh. The guy obviously worked out, he was just so damned skinny you couldn't tell underneath all the clothes.

Zoro found a nipple and ran his tongue over the soft bud. The skin tightened against his lips, and fingers pulled at Zoro's hair. The sounds the blond was making were the sweetest Zoro had ever heard. His erection throbbed almost painfully at the thought of what the sounds might be like when Zoro had this guy's dick in his mouth.

Abruptly, Zoro straightened. He reached around a slim waist and grabbed two decent handfuls of muscled ass. He lifted, and the other man let out a soft cry as he wrapped his legs around Zoro's torso. The bed wasn't far, and Zoro enjoyed the panting, almost desperate noise so close to his ear. He wasted no time in relieving his company of the rest of his clothes, and when he had the blond naked on his bed, Zoro took a moment to settle back on his knees and just look.

He was Goddamn perfection. This blond had a smoking body on top of that drop-dead face. His skin was like fucking ivory, and his cock was long and heavy, just begged to be sucked.

Maybe Zoro looked for too long, because his bedmate sat up slowly, a look of fear and uncertainty coming over his features.

"What… what's wrong?" he asked. His voice was shaking.

Suddenly, Zoro realized the blond's voice wasn't the only thing that was shaking. His shoulders were trembling, his legs were too. His hands were balled into tight fists in Zoro's sheets. He was biting the inside of his lip, and holy fucking shit if his eyes weren't a little watery.

Zoro's heart gave a little pang. He had been where this guy was and understood what he was going through.

Leaning in close, Zoro ran a finger down the blond's cheek and kissed his lips softly.

"This is your first time, isn't it?"

The blond's lips trembled, and his eyes filled for real. He bit it back, however, clenching his jaw and taking a slow breath.

"Yes…" he whispered.

Zoro's hand ran over a bent knee and slid down an extremely muscled thigh. The pale skin was so soft it felt like his palm was sliding over silk; the most expensive of Egyptian cottons. For a moment, Zoro pictured this man dressed in the fine linens of the players in the _Mikado_ or any Kabuki theater for that matter. They would seem like rags against his creamy skin and his soft, golden hair.

Zoro must have been looking for too long again, because he felt the blond's body tense.

"I… I'll leave if you want me to," he said, barely a whisper. His voice still trembled like his body. It made Zoro's heart skip.

"I know you probably expected me to know what I was doing. I thought… I could fake it but I… I can't. I don't have any idea what-"

"You're beautiful…" Zoro murmured.

The blond's eye widened. He stopped breathing. Zoro felt a rush as if he were the first person that had ever given this man a compliment. He kissed thin lips before the other man could react, and gently pushed the lithe body back down on the sheets.

"I'll be gentle, okay?" Zoro let his mouth glide over a toned stomach. "I'll go slow."

With every kiss, the blond's breath became heavier. With just this small touch he was coming undone, and Zoro was so taken by it, that the world around him seemed to fall away. He stripped out of his shirt, and stood quickly to shed the rest of his clothes. He crawled back over that flushed body and slid his hands up and over legs that were so tightly packed, he was momentarily distracted. What did this guy do that gave him muscle groups like those?

He kissed the inside of one of those powerful thighs, and the blond let out a soft breath. His chest started to heave, taking panting, desperate breaths as Zoro ran his tongue up his long shaft. He writhed and moaned when Zoro took his length in his hand and stroked him slowly.

Zoro couldn't believe it. He had never, _never_ been with anyone that turned him on like this. The blond's voice was killing him slowly, breaking off pieces of his restraint and tearing through his defenses. When he slid that long cock into his mouth, the blond cried out. It was a rough, masculine sound, and Zoro was glad of it. He didn't like whiny bottoms. If he wanted a whiny, girly bottom, he'd fuck a girl. Zoro didn't want a girl, had never wanted a girl, and the person lying before him was anything but. He was vulnerable and a little emotional at the moment, but he was very, very much a man.

As Zoro distracted by rolling his tongue and taking that hot length in as far as he could, he popped the cap on a bottle of lube he had procured from underneath the pillow. He covered his fingers and teased the blond's entrance gently. The other man responded by bending his legs and spreading his thighs to give Zoro easier access. Zoro moved closer and slid a finger inside the blond's warm body.

Another guttural cry fell on Zoro's ears, and the green-haired man wondered if he would be able to hold out. The blond's voice went straight to his cock. It ached and throbbed in its neglect, but Zoro would not rush this for anything in the world. He had this gorgeous person spread out on his bed, crying out with every little move he made. Nothing short of the end of the world would get Zoro to do anything but take his time.

He released the throbbing length with a wet pop and slipped another finger in, massaging carefully inside that tight space. He leaned forward and kissed the backs of pale hands. The blond had covered his eyes and was gasping wildly from between his wrists.

"Is it okay?" Zoro murmured.

The blond nodded.

"It feels good?"

The blond nodded again.

Zoro kissed those fingertips again and they fell away, revealing clear blue eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. It was an incredible sight, and Zoro committed it into his memory.

"I can just keep doing this," he whispered, sliding his fingers in and out slowly. "I can get you off like this, with just my hands."

The blond's eye rolled back as Zoro's fingers worked. He seemed lost and unable to speak, transcended as Zoro caressed him on the inside.

"No…" he said suddenly. His eyes opened again and he looked up at Zoro. "I want everything… please… Please give me everything…"

Zoro almost broke open and bled out his soul all over this person, too beautiful and too sweet to be real. Zoro claimed his mouth, sliding his tongue inside and plundering as thoroughly as he was about to plunder this man's body. When he broke away, he fumbled again underneath the pillow for the package of condoms. He ripped one open with his teeth, and almost laughed when he realized his hands were shaking as his slipped it on. He moved over the other man once again, and brushed soft blond hair out of those fucking gorgeous eyes.

"Don't fight it," Zoro murmured, "relax as best you can, especially in your thighs."

The man below him nodded. "Okay…"

Zoro kissed him again. "You want it like this, or on your stomach?"

Thin lips trembled. "Does it make a difference?"

"Not really," Zoro answered, "it's just whatever you're more comfortable with."

"Oh…" he watched Zoro's mouth, and ran his own tongue over his bottom lip. "Then I'd like to stay like this… if that's okay with you."

Zoro nodded and slipped his knees underneath supple legs. "Yeah, it's definitely okay."

With one hand to guide himself and another holding a pale thigh, Zoro pushed forward, sliding slowly into wet and pulsing muscle. He grunted softly as he was met with resistance. "It's okay… it's okay…" he whispered against a smooth cheek. "Relax, relax your legs."

Zoro massaged circles into shaking thighs, and kissed gently down a sweat-slicked neck. The blond turned his head away. He clenched his teeth together hard but he did not make a sound.

"It's okay…" Zoro repeated softly. He brought his hand to the other man's flagging erection and stroked gently.

There was a trembling sigh, and Zoro almost howled when the blond's impossibly long legs came around his hips. His body opened for Zoro's length and suddenly Zoro was inside, surrounded by heat and life and _fuck he was so tight!_

"Oh God…" that smoker's rasp was right in Zoro's ear. "Oh fuck… _fuck_…"

Zoro panted against that cursing mouth and nuzzled underneath a sweaty jaw. He kissed the soft skin there and ran his hands over silk hips and creamy abs. He pulled out, achingly slow, and pushed back in. He was rewarded with not only delicious friction on his cock, but with a soft cry, so painfully sweet it made Zoro's chest tighten and his heart sing.

"Hurts?" he whispered.

The blond gasped at another gentle thrust and shook his head. "No, it's not… it's not so bad."

"Feels good?" Zoro's tongue made another trail up that sweaty neck.

The blond lifted his arms and slid his hands up Zoro's shoulders. "Yes." His fingers combed through Zoro's hair. "You can do it harder."

Zoro groaned in appreciation and braced himself on his arms. He ground his hips down and shuddered when the blond's hands slid down his chest, feeling out the scar that marred the top half of his torso. Zoro kept the slow pace, thrusting in hard and pulling out gently as blue eyes opened wide; as thin fingers danced over gnarled flesh.

"Don't…" Zoro breathed. He felt a violent tremor ricochet down his spine as nimble fingers teased the scar again.

Panting harshly with each movement of Zoro's hips, the blond's gaze returned to Zoro's face. His skin was flushed, his hair heavy and damp as it hung over his eyes.

"Make me…" he purred.

The attitude was what pulled Zoro in, the fire that was somewhere behind the inexperience and uncertainty. However, even beneath that spark, a profound sadness blanketed this man's true self, and Zoro was becoming desperate to mend it. He wanted to clear away all those layers and find exactly what was hidden beneath them.

He sped up his movements, catching the blond off guard. The body beneath Zoro arched, almost obscenely. Those sweet cries sounded again and again as blunt fingernails raked down Zoro's already marred chest.

"Tell me your name…" Zoro growled.

The blond panted beneath him. "No…"

Zoro lowered his mouth and bit the flesh between neck and shoulder.

"Tell me."

The hands left Zoro's chest and fell to the bed. They twisted in the sheets, pulling, tightening, just like the way Zoro could feel the man's body tightening around him.

Zoro raised a hand and gripped the edge of the headboard for leverage. He quickened his pace once again, and lowered his mouth to catch the cries flowing freely from the other man's mouth.

"Tell me your name…" he growled again, there was nothing gentle in his voice.

The blond closed his eyes. He turned his head to the side and rocked his hips up in time with Zoro's powerful thrusts.

"I'm no one…" he gasped, "Nobody…"

There was that sadness again, but Zoro was so close he couldn't hold on to his concern any longer. He leaned down and took the other man's jaw in his hand. He tilted that beautiful face up and brought his lips to one delicate ear.

"Fine," Zoro snarled. "I'm gonna make you come so hard, you're gonna forget you have a name at all."

With that, Zoro straightened. He took the blond's cock in his hand and stroked him fast and hard with each violent thrust of his hips. The man's cries echoed off the high ceiling. They danced through the naked rafters and slammed against the windows. Zoro had never heard anything so erotic in his life. He wanted it to last for hours but his own orgasm was on him. He bore down, feeling those blunt nails scraping up his hips. The blond's cock pulsed in his hand, sending warm wetness across pale and tan stomach alike. Zoro pressed his face in creamy skin and let himself go. He groaned, pushing himself as deep as he could go, burying his length deep inside. He shuddered one last time, tension flowing out of him, breath leaving him. He molded himself against the slender body and thought how amazing it would be if he could just stay there forever.

When he came back around, Zoro took a moment to listen to the blond's breathing as the man tried to steady himself. He slipped his arms underneath that lithe torso, and smiled to himself as thin arms came back around his neck. He made himself believe that his heart was racing only because of the physical exertion, and it had not in fact sped back up when soft lips started to trail kisses across his cheek.

Zoro hummed and lifted his head. He kissed closed eyelids and ran his lips over surprisingly dry temples.

"Good?" he asked, meaning more than just the sex itself.

Hopefully the blond knew what he meant.

"Yes."

Laying one more soft kiss on those sweet lips, Zoro got to his elbows and gently pulled out. He got to his feet and padded into the bathroom, disposing of the condom and grabbing a pair of sweats on the top of the laundry. When he reemerged, the blond had his jeans back on and was slipping the shirt over his head.

Zoro moved immediately to intercept, sliding his hand around that slim waist.

"Hey, you don't have to go," he whispered.

The blond froze, caught in uncertainty once again.

Zoro took both hips in his hands and kissed that sweaty neck. "You can sleep here. I might even have some cigarettes lying around somewhere."

The blond turned then, his eyes lighting up hungrily. Zoro snorted and broke away to move into the kitchen. He fished the pack of smokes that Law had left last week from the bookshelf and returned to the bed. He grabbed a lighter from the nightstand drawer and handed both over. The blond accepted with a nod and moved to the window.

The breeze felt good on Zoro's bare skin. He watched as those slim hands moved through motions he had seen thousands of times, but never before had he been so mesmerized by those particular movements. It was obvious this man worked with his hands. Something that required a dexterous skill that Zoro could never hope to acquire. Maybe he was a musician? He looked the part.

He didn't realize he was drifting off until the bed shifted. The blond had slid in beside him and was now lying back on the pillow, watching the night sky through the window he had left open.

Zoro wanted to ask for the man's name again, but he was sure he would not get it.

* * *

><p>When Zoro woke, it was still dark. He glanced at the clock. The glowing numbers displayed a quarter past four. He breathed deep, rubbing at his eyes to try and wipe away the heaviness in his eyelids. He knew something had woken him. There was a tangible tension in the air, thick and heavy as it settled against Zoro's side.<p>

He turned his head. The blond lay faced away from him. Zoro knew immediately something was wrong. The man's breathing was clipped, short and punctuated as if he was...

Zoro rolled to his side and slid a hand down underneath the sheets. He touched the other man's back gently, moving his hands over sinewy muscle and pulling himself against the thinner frame. He rested on an elbow and gazed down into an anguished face. Tears slid from those lonely blue eyes. A hand held long, agile fingers loosely over a trembling mouth.

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked gently.

He didn't answer right away. He lay there for a few moments, crying tears onto Zoro's pillow. When he finally spoke, his voice was a hoarse; dry, the scrape of autumn leaves over pavement.

"It's nothing…"

Zoro moved his hand, and trailed fingers through heavy tear tracks. "Yeah, this is a lot of nothing right here."

The blond's eyes closed and he turned his head into the pillow. "I've done a horrible thing…" he cried.

Zoro barely knew this man, didn't even know his name, but at that moment Zoro's heart ached for him. He wished he knew how to make this blond's pain stop. He wished there was something he could do.

"Hey," he whispered. "Come here. Turn over."

The man hesitated; turned his head to look at Zoro's face.

Zoro pulled him gently. "Come here," he repeated. "It's okay."

He came. He rolled over. He buried his head into Zoro's neck and splayed his hands over the gnarled scar on the thicker man's chest. His shoulders shook violently as Zoro's arms came around him. "It's not okay…" he sobbed desperately. "_Nothing's okay_…"

Zoro held him until he stopped shaking. He ran his fingers through his hair until the man's sobs subsided. When Zoro felt the body go slack against him, he lay back on the pillows, taking the blond with him. He closed his eyes, running his thumb over smooth skin. He didn't fucking need this. This was the kind of thing that was going to distract him, mess up his concentration, screw up his schedule and fuck with his structured life. What was he doing getting mixed up in something like this?

The blond sighed softly, and his fingers tightened their hold on Zoro's bicep.

The green-haired man let out a breath, pushing all thoughts but the ones involving skin on skin out of his head, and willed himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>When Zoro woke, morning had passed, and the sun was almost halfway through its journey across the sky. The light shone down on him through the open window, blinding him as he yawned and opened his eyes.<p>

He was alert within a moment. He sat up, rubbing tears from his eyes and taking in everything at once. He was alone in the bed, the spot next to him cold as if there had never been another body there at all. Zoro's gaze surveyed the room, peering through the door to the dark and unoccupied bathroom.

The blond was gone. He had left some time ago.

Sighing, Zoro lay back on the pillows. He hadn't expected much in the way of morning after conversation, but he had thought that maybe the guy would stick around at least for a little while. Let Zoro make him some coffee or something. Ask if he was all right.

Rolling to the side, Zoro contemplated going back to sleep. Wednesday was his day off. The one day he set aside for himself. He needed time to let his mind rest, to not plan, to stay as far away from schedules and show line-ups and backstage organization as he possibly could. His employees knew not to bother him on Wednesdays unless it was the direst of emergencies, and his friends only texted or called in the evening. Wednesday mornings were for quiet, meditation, and training.

The pillow smelled like cigarettes and almonds. Zoro's groin tightened at the memory of pale skin that tasted like sweat and something nutty. He hadn't made the connection the night before, but now that he thought about it, his mysterious bedmate had been covered in various tastes. The man must have some kind of attraction to flavored lotions.

Zoro slid a hand down the front of his sweats. He was hard. His muscles, which had been so grateful to him for the relief last night, were now awakening with tension. He had an itch to move, to work out some of the anxiety he was feeling deep in his chest.

He rolled and pulled himself out of the bed. He padded to the open space adjacent to the small kitchen nook, and began a series of stretching movements. The space was designed to be a dining/living room area, but Zoro didn't have a table or chairs. He had a small television, but he rarely watched it. He had shoved his one piece of furniture, his couch, into a corner, and that served as his lounge and eating area. He had pulled up the carpet, and installed smooth, wooden panels for flooring. This way he had plenty of room to work out and wouldn't be bothered by anyone. Manhattan had many gyms Zoro could apply to for membership, but what he really needed was privacy.

When he felt sufficiently limber, Zoro moved to the wall, taking his most prized possession from a wooden rack bolted into the brick. He slid the steel katana from its casing and took a few practice swings before laying the sheath on the floor.

He moved to the center of the room, took his stance, and started to work that golden hair and absolutely perfect skin out of his system.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Here's part two. The OOCness is probably getting steadily worse, but I don't care. I had fun writing it so, ha.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

Thursday came and went without much trouble. Zoro managed to get the techies to work out the kinks in the new lighting system, and he walked the visiting managers through the setup and cues. He and Law spent a good deal of time in the late afternoon working with their security and stage detail on the ins and outs of the lineup, but by late evening, both men were satisfied that their guys knew their stuff. There were three performances during the award's show. One was a pop group that Zoro was familiar with, but had no real interest in. (Law, however, liked them a lot and was enthusiastic about their coming.) The other two were both soloists. One was a country music star, and the other was an up and coming jazz artist who Zoro actually did enjoy. The money and the rep the show would bring in for the theater was unmatched, but the actual job was going to be a nightmare. Franky tried to cheer Zoro up by mentioning they _could_ be doing a Justin Bieber concert, but that just made Zoro want to hit him.

Once Zoro dealt out the job assignments, he felt the familiar pre-show weight settle on him. The job became a lot less hands-on for him during the actual performance days, since the host, the stage hands, and the techies up in the booth did most of the work, but the stress became a hell of a lot worse. Zoro might not do the physical work but he was in charge of _everything_. If even one thing was out of place, it would fall on him.

Of course, it helped that Zoro ate pressure for breakfast.

"So, this guy last night…" Franky smiled around a bite of his dinner. "I take it you two had a good time last night, bro?"

Nami had run out with Kaku to grab Chinese, and the four of them, plus Law, were eating in the back lobby while the award show hosts ran through another sound check. Franky had been giving Zoro shit all day, as had Nami once she had heard about it. Law had just laughed and slapped him on the back. Kaku hadn't said much of anything.

Zoro scraped the last of his rice from the box and slipped it into his mouth. "Did you?" he muttered.

Franky grinned. "I might have. Not that I could concentrate on anything over the noise _this_ fucking guy was making." He jerked a thumb in Kaku's direction, and the long-nosed man had the decency to blush scarlet.

"Ooooh," Nami swallowed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "You finally let Drake over last night, Kaku?"

Kaku smiled and swallowed a bite of lo mein. "Yeah, he's been trying for so long. It was pretty much a pity fuck."

Franky snorted. "Didn't sound like that to me. From what was comin' through the wall into my room? Sounded like Drake gave you everything you ever wanted and then some. Killer was laughing so hard I had to pull out. Thought he was gonna get shit on my dick."

"Oh God," Nami groaned. "There's not enough therapy in the world to erase that. Thanks."

Franky saluted her. "You're very welcome."

Zoro was glad the topic had shifted from his own activities, so he stood and moved to slip out before they noticed.

"No really, Zoro," Kaku's voice stopped him. "Who was the guy you picked up last night?"

Well, he had tried anyway.

Zoro shrugged and grabbed his bottle of water. "Don't know."

Nami gasped behind him. "Holy shit, are you serious? I can't believe you, Zoro! When did you start picking up hookers?"

Zoro turned around, suddenly angry. "Who the fuck said he was a hooker?"

Franky raised his hand. "Now, in my defense, I never actually used the word 'hooker'. I just sort of… made some insinuation type things and Nami filled in the rest herself. You know she's got a dirtier mind than all of us."

"It's true," Nami held up her hands in surrender.

"Seriously, man," Kaku spoke into his food, "never seen the guy before, you pick him up on Eighth, you still don't know his name even now. I mean, what are we supposed to think?"

Zoro could feel his rage boiling in the pit of his stomach. He counted to five in his head before he answered.

"He was just a guy. I was hard up and he wanted to fuck. Don't see how it's any of your guys' business, so maybe you should quit drilling me and get back to your fucking jobs."

He turned around, angry that he was so angry about something that should have been nothing. So he took a guy home! He did that all the time. Granted, he didn't have any idea who he was, and yeah, it was kind of sleazy, but Franky and Kaku were ten times worse than him. Who the fuck were they to judge him? He climbed the stairs and moved into his office, closing the door behind him. He threw the remnants of his dinner in the trash and drank from the water bottle. He watched the rain fall outside; watched the street below as the cars drove by, sending water splashing in both directions. The streetlamp illuminated their polished surfaces as they drove in and back out of the small circle of light.

He knew who had followed him the moment the door opened. He didn't have to look.

Law came in silently. He moved to the chair opposite Zoro's and sat. A few minutes passed in silence before the dark-haired man spoke.

"He wasn't a hooker, was he?" Law asked.

Zoro turned to him, watched the shadows of rain trail down Law's cheeks like tears.

"He wasn't," Zoro said quietly. "I'm pretty sure."

"Pretty sure?" Law said softly. "How can you be pretty sure? What makes you pretty sure, and not positive?" The man pulled his beanie from his head and ran his fingers through his short, black hair.

"Jesus, Zoro…" his voice caught. "You're always… you said you'd never…"

Zoro stepped away from the window. He placed the water bottle on his desk and moved around to lower himself to one knee in front of his friend. Law's eyes avoided him, staring far to the left, his jaw trembling in lieu of the tears that had been shed a long time ago.

Those years between high school and Zoro getting him the job at _The Grand_ had been hell for Law. The death of his only living family had cut Law loose into a world he was not prepared for. He had stayed with a friend for a while, but that friend had gotten him into some pretty hard shit. Law had developed a habit, and after he had sold everything he had to feed it, he had started selling his body. He had lived that way for a year and a half: strung out, hooking, and sleeping in the subway when it was too cold up top. One night, he had stumbled into what he thought was The District, and propositioned the wrong guy. If Law had been sober at the time, things would have been fine, but he was tripping and couldn't think straight. The guy and his friend managed to get in several good blows before someone had come along and pulled them off. Law had been bleeding and crying, hysterical from the sensation overload, but he had still managed to plead with his savoir to just take him to a halfway house. He offered everything he knew how to do if the man would just take him to a halfway house and not a hospital.

When Law had woken up, he had been warm and dry, and his old friend Zoro was sitting across from him watching TV.

With the help of Zoro and Chopper, Law had been cleaned and bandaged. He was confused and frightened, but seeing Zoro again had been like seeing a glimpse of a life he had actually enjoyed. Zoro never left his side for the next four days; even when Law was screaming in pain and vomiting so violently his sides felt they were going to split apart.

Six months after that, Law was well and working a part time security job at _The Grand_. Law promised never to hook again, and Zoro promised Law, out of respect, that he would never pick one up.

Now Zoro took Law's hand and ran his thumb over the other man's scarred knuckles. "I didn't think he was a hooker when I picked him up," Zoro explained. "The thought never even crossed my mind. I saw him in the club first. We sort of… made eyes at each other. When we all left _Alabaster_ I spotted him on Eighth with Moria."

Law sucked in a breath. "Oh shit…"

"He was…" Zoro looked away, thoughtful. "I don't know. I couldn't stop myself. He was…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Turns out he was a first timer."

Law's eyes widened. "Really?"

Zoro nodded. "Yeah, I was probably just some experiment. Guy seemed really upset afterwards. He's probably married or something."

"Oh, Zoro don't say that." Law sat forward, watching as Zoro sat down across from him. "He was probably really scared. You know what that first time is like. Imagine what his life must be like to have to come out to The District for his first."

"Yeah, well," Zoro ran a hand over his face, "I just don't really need this right now. I got a lot of shit I gotta do, and I just…" The green-haired man rubbed at the back of his neck.

Law's eyes opened wider. "What? You just what?"

Zoro sighed. "I just don't need to be worrying about someone I don't even know, okay?"

Law blinked, then his eye brows slowly lifted.

"Zoro," he whispered. "Do you like this guy?"

Zoro growled and stood up. "I don't wanna talk about this right now. Let's just get these guys set up so we can go drink."

Law shot to his feet, following Zoro out of the office.

"Wait, wait Zoro! Are you serious! You're not gonna talk to me about this? Do you have any idea what I'm gonna concoct in my head if you're just gonna leave this information to fester! _Zoro get back here!_"

* * *

><p>Zoro's earlier outburst was forgotten quickly, as his friends were ready to pester him about other things the moment he returned to his work. After the last of the equipment checks were finished and the awards show organizers left, Zoro's crew changed and got ready for the night. Zoro resisted at first when the group suggested they go to <em>Alabaster<em> again, (for him, twice in one week was a little much) but the thought of seeing Ace softened him up. He consented, so the group cleaned up and left the theater around midnight. Zoro decided to ride with everyone else and not take his bike. He planned on getting hammered, which might not be the best idea, but the show wasn't until Saturday night, and tomorrow was still just planning and setup. The walk back to his apartment would sober him up some and some strong coffee in the morning would make it like he never drank at all.

Lucci was at the door when the taxi pulled up. The imposing man didn't even look at their IDs before he lifted the rope and ushered them through. Zoro watched Lucci's eyes watch Kaku's long legs as the group entered the club, but again, the green-haired man said nothing.

Zoro wasn't expecting anything, and it wasn't like he was actively searching the club for signs of blond hair or paler than average skin or anything, he just happened to be distracted when Franky asked if Zoro would mind securing their regular spot upstairs while he got the first round. He finally got Zoro's attention on the third try and Zoro knew he was never going to hear the end of it. As long as he lived.

"Ah! Look who's here!" Ace waited at their regular spot, and saluted Zoro with a drink when the green-haired man came close. "You guys are so late! Where's my man?"

Zoro smiled and slid into the seat next to his friend. "Came in the other cab, he'll be here any second."

Ace grinned and took a swallow from his drink. "He's great, you know? I'm happy for the first time in… well, I don't know how long. It's… just awesome."

Zoro leaned back and pushed his hands into his pockets. "He's a good guy."

Ace nodded. "I know." He was quiet for a moment as he studied the contents of his glass. "He told me what he went through… and what you did for him. Guess I should be thanking you, huh?"

Zoro shook his head. "It wasn't-"

Ace silenced him with a hand. "No, no way, Zoro. You saved his life. Don't make little of that. You're a fucking saint and you don't even know it."

"I'm not-" Zoro started to growl, but Ace interrupted him again.

"I'm serious, man, don't even try. I hung out with Luffy yesterday and we talked a lot about you. You've done real good for yourself, and you've helped a lot of people. Nami? Man, Nami's never been able to hold down a job for more than a few weeks her whole life. I come back home and find she's been working for you for _over a year?_ That's fucking amazing."

Zoro sat still and didn't say anything. He had always been a decent judge on when to keep his mouth shut.

"Kaku would probably be dead in a ditch somewhere if you hadn't cut him a break, and you know that's true. And Luffy said you didn't even glance at Franky's drug conviction when you hired him. The guy would have never gotten his job bouncing, or his apartment, or anything if you hadn't done that. Don Q, Lucci, it feels like half this fucking community wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you."

Zoro's gaze had dropped to the floor. He knew it wasn't as dramatic as Ace was making it sound. He had just helped out a couple people here and there, given them part time work, written a reference or two. He wasn't a fucking saint. He felt a little gooey inside however, at hearing that Luffy spoke so highly of him to his brother. The more he thought about it, the more the back of his neck seemed to itch, and after a few long moment of sitting not knowing what to say, Zoro realized, to his horror, that he was blushing.

Ace chuckled at his side. "You're pretty damn cute when you're embarrassed."

"Shut up," Zoro grumbled.

"Oh my God!" Law said as he moved around the table and slid onto Ace's lap. "Baby, are you harassing Zoro?"

Ace smiled up at his boyfriend and ran his hands over those slender legs. "Not harassing, just talking about stuff."

"Huh," Kaku smirked and sat down across from Zoro. "Looks like more than just 'stuff' to me. Zoro only bushes like that when you start complimenting him."

"Where's my drink?" Zoro growled.

"Right here, bro!" Franky appeared, setting several glasses and bottles on the table with a flourish only a seasoned bartender would have. "I got you a couple Dumptrucks in hopes of loosening your tongue a little!"

Zoro glared at him, but snagged one of the drinks and took a swallow.

"And why for are we trying to loosen Zoro's tongue?" Ace asked with a sly grin.

"We want him to tell us about his conquest Tuesday night," Nami said. She sat down next to Kaku, a beer in her hand.

"Conquest?" Ace's eyes went wide. "You took somebody home after we left the club?"

Zoro felt his eyebrow twitching. "It wasn't a conquest, and it wasn't even really that big of a deal. Why can't you guys just drop it?"

"Oh!" Franky chortled. "Looks like Zoro blushes for more than just compliments!"

Zoro wanted to punch him.

"See?" Nami grinned. "He says we're making a big deal out of it, but then he acts likei that!/i What are we supposed to do?"

Ace shifted Law on his lap and leaned on the table. "So, wait, what happened on Tuesday?"

Kaku leaned onto the table conspiratorially, motioning for Ace to come closer like it was all some important secret.

"Okay, so Tuesday, we're all walking back from the club—this was just after you two disappeared."

Law chuckled and ran his hand through Ace's shaggy hair. Ace just grinned.

Kaku pointed to Zoro. "This guy's talking to Killer, I'm hittin' it off with Drake—"

"—I thought you said it was a pity fuck!" Nami interrupted.

"It was!" Kaku barked. "Now, shut up and let me tell the story!" He turned back to Ace. "Okay, so we're passing Eighth Street, and Moria was there."

"Who's Moria?" Ace asked.

"He's a fetish king," Law explained. "Really nasty guy. Rapes younger boys and tapes it."

"Eew," Ace made a face.

"Yes, gross," Kaku waved his hand in dismissal. "Anyway, I'm not really paying attention 'cause Moria's just Moria, but then Zoro leaves the party and goes _slamming this guy into a trash bin!_"

"Wait, Moria?" Ace sat up straighter. "He slammed Moria into a trash bin?"

"Yes," Kaku nodded. "We're all like 'what the fuck, Zoro!' and 'what the hell are you doing? Are you stupid?' and all that shit. He doesn't listen of course, and he goes all alpha dog on this guy. Poor Moria was pissin' his pants when he ran. It was awesome."

Ace laughed, squeezing Law's waist. "So, where does this guy come in? The one Zoro picked up?"

"Well, that's when we saw him," Kaku continued. "We're all freaking out 'cause we think Zoro's finally lost it, but then Drake points out that Moria had someone all backed into the corner with him."

"Oh gross," Nami groaned.

"Aw, Zoro," Law smiled at his friend. "You're such a manly man, going around saving damsels in distress."

"He wasn't in distress," Zoro snarled into his drink, "and he definitely wasn't a damsel." He was trying to tune out the story, but Kaku's version of what went down was actually kind of interesting. Too bad he was on his second Dumptruck and the room was starting to tilt slightly.

"You're right," Kaku nodded, "He wasn't. This dude looked like he was about to kick the shit out of someone, but then Zoro started bitching at him and he sort of… uh…"

"Shit his pants?" Nami suggested.

"Started crying?" Ace guessed.

"No," Kaku frowned. "More like… relaxed, it was kind of odd… But then Zoro _moves to stand in the way on purpose so I can't see!_ I have no idea what happened next!"

Ace and Franky started laughing. Even Nami snorted into her drink.

"But then!" Kaku silenced them all with a wave of his hand. "Then, they both come out, back onto the main street, and oh my god, _oh my god_, this guy…"

Ace leaned forward again. "He what?"

Kaku's eyes rolled back and he lifted his hands as if in rapture. "Fuck this guy was so hot. It was like if Beckham and Chris Evans had a baby or something, it was _insane_. Guy was like sex on legs. Blond, big fucking blue eyes, mouth that you just know is _made_ for sucking cock."

"And then you just left?" Ace turned to Zoro. "Left all your friends standing on the side of the road?"

"After Kaku had a little oral sex vicariously through a cigarette," Franky snickered.

"Gaaahhh," Kaku groaned and stood. "Man, I gotta find me someone to fuck. I'm about to bust a nut right now."

As Kaku stood, the others chuckled after him as he made his way through the crowd of dancing and drinking people.

"Well," Franky laughed, "he got drunk awful fast."

Ace grinned at his boyfriend before turning back to Zoro. "So… this guy, this blond. What's his name?"

Zoro shrugged, he was getting tired of the questions. "I don't know."

Ace looked genuinely surprised. "Really?"

Zoro took the last drink from his glass and slammed it down on the table. "No, I don't fucking know, okay? He wouldn't tell me. I asked him like three times."

Franky snorted and leaned back in the booth. "Well, next time you see him, just steal his wallet or something."

Zoro shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

"What do you mean?" Ace asked. "You're not gonna steal his wallet? Or you're not going to repeat offend? Was he bad or something?"

Law, who had been relatively silent the whole time, finally spoke.

"No, if he'd been bad, Zoro would be laughing and joking about the whole thing with the rest of us… As it is now, I'm going to have to assume that this blond was really, really good."

Annoyed, and a little drunk, Zoro sat forward. "I need to piss, I'll be right back."

He was about to get up, but Ace's next words made him freeze.

"This guy sounds like a friend of mine."

Zoro couldn't make himself stand, so he tried to look busy for a moment, pretending to tie his shoelace. When he glanced back at Ace, the dark-haired man was talking to Law with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Dude's just like Kaku said, sexy as hell, blond and blue eyes and all that."

"Hmmm," Law rested his forehead against Ace's. "Wouldn't that be a coincidence?"

Ace shook his head. "Naw, it'd never happen. This guy's totally straight."

"Aw sad," Law chuckled. "That would have been really funny."

Zoro stood finally, having heard enough. He felt stupid, thinking for the tiniest fraction of a moment that he might have been able to learn the identity of his mysterious guest. He turned to Franky before he moved away and asked him to watch his jacket. Franky said sure, and Zoro turned to make his way through the mass of people.

"… yeah his name's Sanji. Best mother-fucking cook ever. Cool dude too."

"I want to meet him sometime," Law said, "All your friends sound really cool."

"Well, I would, babe," Ace sighed, "But no one's actually seen Sanji in a while. He disappeared about two weeks ago…" Whatever else Ace said, Zoro wasn't listening as he moved away through the crowd.

Of course, he may not have been _listening_, but that didn't mean he hadn't _heard_.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks passed like normal. September turned into October, and as October came to a close, the days got shorter and colder. Things at the events center picked up during Halloween, and then the schedule filled up almost overnight for the New Year. The holiday season was going to be packed, so the crew had their work cut out for them. Zoro spent most of his time ordering supplies and redecorating the center—well, at least directing the redecorating anyway, Nami and Law actually did most of the design and planning. Weekends came and went, shows happened, Wednesdays punctuated the weeks, making it possible to tell one day from the next, and clubbing happened most nights. The new hit spot was <em>Alabaster<em> since a member of their group was now an employee. Ace danced Monday through Wednesday, so on nights when he was off, he was able to get them at least a few rounds free. They still frequented _The Lobby_ off and on because Franky still worked the doors once in a while. But Zoro had decided to hire both Franky and Kaku full time, so the both of them only worked when someone called in sick or didn't show, which wasn't very often.

Zoro let his life sweep him away. With Kaku and Franky on full staff, there was actually more opportunity for time on his own. He filled it with training, and he even made it out with Ace once or twice a week to spar at the local gym. It turned out that Ace had joined the Coastguard after high school, and was now a Damage Controlman for the reserves. He had been deployed overseas twice, and had been fighting fires in Orange County for the last year and a half. However, he had been injured in a training accident a few months ago, and had moved back home to Staten Island so he could recover and be closer to his brother.

Zoro also learned, in a most unfortunate way, that over the past few years Ace had been honing his martial arts skills, and that his injury had not handicapped him in the slightest.

Staring up from his sprawled position on the floor, Zoro sputtered up at his friend. "Where the hell did you learn how to do that!"

Ace grinned. "Remember that friend I was telling you about? Sanji?"

Zoro wrinkled his nose, "Vaguely."

Ace held out a hand and helped Zoro to his feet. "I was training with him before he disappeared. Guy's a beast. Taught me this crazy style he learned from his dad."

Zoro readied his stance, planning moves to counter Ace's powerful attacks. "You say he disappeared, like he was there one day, and then gone? Like a serial killer found him kind of thing?"

Ace chuckled. "Kind of, but a week or two after he disappeared he text me a couple times to let me know he was okay. Can't blame the guy, he went through a whole bunch of shit all at the same time."

Ace moved, crouching low and swiping his leg around hard. Zoro saw it coming and jumped. He landed, barely missing a second attack from Ace's powerful fists. He blocked high, and drove in low with his other hand. Ace blocked and pushed off, pushing them out of the obvious deadlock.

The workout went on like that for another half hour. Ace was an incredible fighter and the perfect kind of partner for Zoro. He took blows fairly well, and had enough stamina to keep it up until even Zoro was winded. A few more months like this, a couple times a week and Ace would be strong enough to take a hit that was almost full strength.

"So, what kind of shit happened to this guy?" Zoro asked as they changed in the locker room.

Ace shook his head, sending water droplets from his hair flying. He had taken a shower and walked butt naked back to where he'd left his bag, smiling brilliantly at anyone who looked.

"It was just one thing after another. His dad died, and then the restaurant that was supposed to go to him got taken by some debt collectors. It was such a shitty thing 'cause that restaurant's been in his family for generations."

"Holy shit…" Zoro breathed.

"Yeah," Ace toweled his hair, "Then it turns out the chick that's been with him for like five years was only with him 'cause he was going to inherit. She left him about a day and a half after the collectors took the restaurant."

Zoro sat on the bench, his towel wrapped around his waist, staring at the locker door. "That's fucking awful."

"He's back again," Ace pulled on a pair of ratty jeans as he spoke, "Showed up at my place about a week ago. I don't know where he's staying, he won't talk about where he's been, but he must have found a job or something 'cause he's, well, not dead."

Zoro rubbed his forehead, sighing softly. He stood slowly and dropped the towel, fishing in his locker for his deodorant. "I'd probably kill someone if all that shit happened to me." When he shut the locker door, he found Ace leaning against the locker next to him, blatantly enjoying the view. Zoro raised an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips, knowing there was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of or self-conscious about when it came to his physical appearance.

"Like what you see?" Zoro growled.

Ace looked up, grinning unabashedly. "Of course."

Zoro shook his head and reached for his boxers. "I'm telling your boyfriend when he comes in to work tonight."

Ace scoffed. "What? I can't look? Can't appreciate that my puny friend's grown into a sexy, strapping young man? What's the world coming to?"

"Speak for yourself," Zoro muttered, a little flattered but intent on not showing it.

"Oh, why thank you," Ace ran his hands through his hair. "But, no, seriously, what I was looking at was the scar. How the fuck did that happen?"

Zoro's stomach clenched. He hated talking about the scar. He had been so stupid, so hotheaded, and now he had to live with the reminder that he wasn't strong enough branded into his chest. It was an incredibly sore subject and now was definitely not the time to open himself up to that extent.

"You're gonna have to get me really fucking drunk if you want the answer to that question," Zoro pulled on his jeans and grabbed his t-shirt from his bag.

"Oh good!" Ace slipped on his jacket and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Then you can tell me this Friday at your birthday party! I'll get you so drunk you won't know what the hell we're talking about!"

Zoro groaned. "Ace, man, do we really have—"

"—Dude, seriously. I only told you 'cause I knew you'd be an asshole if you suspected or whatever. So just go with me to Luffy's on Friday and pretend you're surprised."

Zoro growled as he pulled on his jacket. "I hate you."

Laughing, Ace clapped him on the back. "Hey, it wasn't my idea. It was all your friends'. I just provided the food."

Zoro gave him a look. "When the hell did you learn how to cook?"

"Oh, I'm not cooking," Ace laughed as they left the locker room. "Sanji is. I hired him for the night. I figured he could use the money."

"He's good?" Zoro asked as they stepped outside and made their way down the street towards _The Grand_.

"Oh shit, Zoro," Ace's eyes rolled back, "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>Friday, it seemed like everyone Zoro had ever known in his entire life was crammed into Luffy's condo. The music thumped. Franky had gotten with a friend of Luffy's and they had pulled a band together just for the occasion. Brook was a professional musician and turned out to be exceptionally talented. He took requests from the audience, knowing songs ranging from ZZ Top to John Coltrane; The Beatles to Chet Atkins; Public Enemy, Green Day, Limp Bizkit, it didn't matter. He knew them all. After a while, it became a challenge trying to find a song Brook <em>didn't <em>know. Nami took advantage of it, working as a bookie while everyone placed bets on if he would know this track or that track. Drake kept everyone's glasses filled, and Vivi and another friend of Nami's by the name of Robin, kept the food coming in from the kitchen.

Zoro didn't enjoy parties usually, but this one was just like an average night at the club—minus the nasty bathrooms and stale air of course. Zoro figured that's what his friends had planned, and he appreciated it more than he could say. After the initial "surprise" (and a very good job of pretending he was surprised if he did say so himself) Zoro had been passed around from group to group, greeting, mingling, and all the other things he usually avoided, but it was all happening so fast, he didn't really have time to hate it.

Finally, when the guests had been sufficiently greeted, Zoro found a place by the window to sit and take a breath. He had only been there a few moments, however, when Luffy came at him with a plate loaded with food.

"Zoro!" the younger man cried happily, "You've got to taste this! Sanji made it!"

Zoro took the plate with a smile. "How're you doing, Luffy?"

Luffy grinned a grin so similar to Ace's that Zoro wondered how he hadn't made the connection right away. "I'm good. School's been tough though. I'm pretty sure I'd be failing if Chopper and Usopp didn't do my homework for me."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "They do your homework for you?" He bit into a chicken wing. "Luffy, you're never going to learn anything if you don't…"

Suddenly, everything seemed unimportant to Zoro besides the piece of culinary perfection rolling over his tongue. The world was insignificant in comparison to the spicy, savory meat that seemed to melt in his mouth.

Luffy's grin widened. "Yeah, it's awesome huh? He made some rice balls too. I brought you a couple 'cause I know how much you like rice."

Zoro's attention turned to his plate. It was piled high with all manner of the things Zoro liked. Besides the rice balls and chicken wings, Luffy had added deviled eggs, scallops wrapped in bacon, and a few mini quiches. It all looked so good, he didn't know where to start. He finished off the chicken wing and scooped up one of the scallops.

"Holy shit," he murmured around the bite, "This is fucking great…"

"I know right?" Luffy grabbed a rice ball and shoved it in his mouth. "Hoo hould come meeh Sanhi. He'h in ha kishen."

"What?" Zoro muttered.

Luffy swallowed. "Come meet Sanji, he's in the kitchen."

Zoro shrugged and followed his friend through the crowd of people. He shoveled the food and was ready to fill his plate again when they reached the threshold. When Zoro glanced around, he was surprised to say the least. Organized piles of freshly cleaned pans, mixing bowls, and platters were stacked on one counter, the cutting board was clear, and the knives were all back in the block. Whatever was cooking in the oven had twenty-one minutes left, judging by the timer, and it smelled divine. This Sanji could not only cook, and cook brilliantly he might add, he was also clean and orderly.

Zoro was impressed.

However, Sanji was not in the kitchen. Zoro dumped his plate in the trash and pulled a fresh beer from the fridge. "So, where is this infamous Sanji?" Zoro asked as he popped the bottle's top with Luffy's penguin bottle opener.

Luffy shrugged. "Probably smoking on the patio." The younger man moved to the sliding glass door and opened it. He stuck his head out.

"Hey! Sanji! You out here!"

Zoro heard laughter and Law came in from outside. The tattooed man greeted Luffy and grinned when he saw Zoro.

"There you are!" he said, making a grab for Zoro's beer, "You disappeared on me!"

Zoro pulled the bottle back just in time. "Whatever, you pushed me into a mass of drunken party guests and left me to fend for myself."

Law's smile only widened. "Ah, but you're better now for it." He pulled beer from the fridge and popped the top. "You should go meet Sanji. He's a cool dude. _Painfully_ hot though, I need to go find Ace and recover."

Zoro rolled his eyes and took another swallow.

"I know!" Luffy's voice carried in from the doorway as the brunette stepped back inside. "A bladder? Who would of thought? And it was all spicy like a sausage, but it had this mushy stuff in the middle."

"The mushy stuff was oatmeal," a familiar, raspy voice answered, "Oatmeal and probably suet or something."

At that moment, several things happened at once. Zoro's ears registered the sound of that voice, right as his stomach and groin tightened at the memory of pale skin and soft, sweet moans. His head turned just in time to see the long, lanky figure come in from outside. The smell of cigarette smoke overpowered the smells of cooking for a fraction of a second, and ocean blue eyes half hidden behind a curtain of soft, blond bangs turned to meet his own.

Time froze a second time for Zoro as he stood staring at the blond from the club. He looked just as Zoro remembered him: tall and thin, achingly beautiful, sad, and tragically sexy. At first, he didn't react at seeing Zoro. In fact, Zoro started to wonder if the blond remembered him at all. But then the tiniest hint of a blush started to creep up the blond's pale neck. His long fingers tightened so hard on the sliding glass doorframe that his knuckles turned white.

"Zoro! This is Sanji!" Luffy said excitedly.

Zoro swallowed, his mouth having gone very dry suddenly. He managed to lift his hand and offer it to the blond—Sanji—without knocking anything over or dropping his beer.

"Hey," he said quietly, "Nice to meet you. I'm Zoro."

The blond was still frozen in place, looking like a cornered animal, a wild, very dangerous animal, but still caged and frightened. He also managed to let up his grip on the door frame to carefully reach out and take Zoro's hand.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," he answered. "I'm Sanji."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three. May you all bask in the almost-crack, and OOCness, and be merry. :) Remember that reviews get you guys a smutt-filled epilogue.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Zoro tried. He really, _really_ tried, but the temptation was too great. He tried to mingle, he tried to watch the band, he even locked himself in the bathroom and stuck his head underneath the faucet. Nothing worked. He ended up slipping back in the kitchen, watching Sanji put the finishing touches on some kind of baked potato skins with bacon things.

Zoro had been right when he had guessed Sanji worked with his hands. The blond's fingers moved through the motions of slicing, packing, and rolling ingredients with a grace and precision that was all but enchanting. Zoro watched the cook move as if he was caught in a trance. He leaned on the side of the refrigerator, out of Sanji's line of sight, observing, remembering how parts of that lithe body had moved before and how his movements were no less appealing now.

"Do you have to stand there?" Sanji said as he finished filling a platter.

Zoro shrugged and set his empty beer in the sink. "I could stand across the room over there if you like."

Sanji laughed, but it was obvious there was no humor in it. He pushed the platter to the edge of the counter and turned to place the pan in the sink. "Take that out there. I need to smoke."

Zoro lifted an eyebrow, enjoying this pushy side of the blond. "Didn't you just smoke like five minutes ago?"

"Seven," Sanji corrected as he washed the pan, "so what? I need another one."

Zoro shook his head and took the platter. He placed it on the table next to the mini sausages, and slipped back into the kitchen before someone spotted him. Sanji was gone when he returned but Zoro just figured he was back out on the patio. When he opened the sliding glass door the smell of cigarettes hit him. He stepped outside.

Sanji stood in the shadows leaning against the wall. His dark pants and grey long-sleeved shirt blended into the darkness, but his pale skin and blond hair were easily visible. Zoro moved slowly to stand in front of the slighter man. He leaned against the railing and slipped his hands into his pockets. He watched the cigarette's cherry glow red as Sanji took a drag.

After a long moment the blond said quietly, "Please don't tell anyone."

Zoro frowned. "I'm not stupid. What, you think I'd just start mouthing to everyone who'd listen when it's obvious you want it kept secret? What the hell kind of person do you think I am?"

Sanji rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "I have no idea."

Zoro saw Sanji's hands were trembling. The blond hadn't looked at him since their first encounter earlier that evening. He was probably ashamed and frightened and a thousand other things that Zoro had felt himself. Now was not the time to provoke him, so Zoro decided to just talk to him. Maybe they could figure some things out together.

He waited a moment, letting the silence settle. There were so many things he wanted to say, he just didn't know where to start.

"Ace told me about what happened to you," he said softly. "I'm sorry. That's gonna be tough on anyone."

Sanji took a drag. "What'd he tell you?"

Zoro shrugged. "About your restaurant, about your dad… your girlfriend."

Sanji finally looked up but his eyes only made it to Zoro's chest. They were wide and dark in the midst of the porch shadows. He lowered the cigarette, the stick all but forgotten between his fingertips.

"What did he tell you about my girlfriend?"

Zoro put up his hands. "Not much. He just told me how she left you because you lost your inheritance. Sounds like she was a royal bitch."

Sanji's eyes dropped again and he started to laugh. It was a sad, lonely sound, devoid of joy or any real humor. He relaxed back against the wall and rubbed at his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well… I guess that's a good story."

Zoro's interest perked. "That's not what happened?"

Sanji scoffed. "Of course not, Cami is great. She's kind and giving… beautiful. She'd never do anything like that."

"So what happened?" Zoro scuffed the patio boards with the toe of his shoe.

Sanji sighed. "I hurt her. I hurt her real bad and she left. It was my fault."

Zoro swallowed. He was suddenly nervous and, even embarrassed, much to his chagrin. He pulled his hands from his pockets and gripped the railing behind him. "She didn't leave because of… uh… that night did she? Because of you and me?"

Sanji finally looked up and met his eyes. He seemed to be shocked but also somewhat relieved that Zoro had finally spoken about what was so obviously hanging over both their heads. He sighed. "No. That was… she'd already left me before I… met you. She'd already been gone weeks before… before…" Unable to find the words, he made a small gesture between himself and Zoro.

Zoro decided to help him out.

"Before we fucked?"

Sanji's head snapped to the side, checking the sliding glass door as if someone might be listening. Then he turned back to Zoro, his face obviously red, even from the shadows.

"Yes."

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest. "I hear you disappeared too. Ace told me a few days later you'd been missing for a while."

"I just needed some time away from everything."

"So you run off to the gay district and climb into bed with some random guy?" Zoro made a face. "Seems a little extreme."

Sanji ground his teeth around the last bit of cigarette. "You don't understand."

"I think I do."

"No," Sanji glared at him and pushed off the wall, "You don't."

Zoro put up his hands again in surrender. "Okay, okay I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to… you know."

Sanji rubbed at his temple, the fight draining out of him. "I'm sorry, I'm being an asshole."

Zoro shook his head. "It's okay."

Sanji's face, already red from Zoro's previous comment, blossomed a new and richer color.

"You uh… say that a lot…" Sanji's lips trembled. Fuck, he was gorgeous.

"I mean it," Zoro said softly.

Sanji took a shaking breath. He dropped the butt of his cigarette into the coffee can at his feet. "It's not though… nothing's okay…"

Zoro moved then. He pushed off the railing and stepped into Sanji's space. He leaned in close and Sanji turned away.

"That's the second time you've said that to me," Zoro murmured. "Why?"

Sanji sniffed. His eyes were watery but he shed no tears. His hands dug deep into his pockets, his body slouched. He made no indication that he was going to answer. Ever.

Zoro's groin tightened as he looked at the blond. Sanji was such a beautiful combination of fragile and strong. He was sexy like a model, but at the same time, he was just the boy next door. There had never been anyone before in Zoro's life that had gotten so deep under his skin. Law had gotten close, but Zoro had always been able to maintain a certain distance from his friend, a feat he had definitely not accomplished with Sanji. Zoro knew full well he was completely lost. The only question was how he was going to deal with it.

"Sanji…" he growled.

Sanji's teeth clenched. "Stop being so nice to me…"

"Why?" Zoro moved closer.

"Because."

"Because what?" Zoro asked, his hand lifting to brush blond bangs from anguished eyes.

Sanji shuddered. "I don't deserve it, okay? I don't deserve to be treated like you treat me."

Zoro was about to respond. He was only a fraction of a second away from arguing and saying Sanji deserved whatever he truly wanted, but then the sliding glass door opened, and Zoro had to step away. He hated the feeling of Sanji's hands pushing against him, but he moved. He backed up and leaned against the railing once again.

Ace stepped out onto the patio, a smile pulling at the corners of his face.

"What the hell, Zoro? I've been looking for you for like an hour! You have presents to open!" He came close and clapped Sanji on the back. "Come on, Sanji, we all know you're irresistible, but stop hogging the birthday boy!"

Sanji grinned around a freshly lit cigarette and tilted his head to the side playfully. "I'll hog whatever I damn well please, ass-wipe."

"Oh ho!" Ace played along, laughing as he took a mock fighting stance. "Them's fightin' words!"

"Bring it," Sanji growled, pushing off the wall. "I'll knock you off this balcony. Finally get me a new sparring partner."

"Let's go, Blondie!"

The two tackled each other, but the fight was geared more towards who could pinch the other in compromising places. Ace got in a few good slaps to choice Sanji parts, and Sanji did more tickling than should be legal in a match between two men.

"Alright, alright enough!" A slim boy with sandy brown hair appeared in the doorway. His arms were crossed over his small chest and his glare was hard on his attractive face. "You turn Luffy's patio into a version of what happened in my living room, and I will personally _poison_both of you!"

Ace laughed and extricated himself from Sanji. "Sorry, Chopper. We were just honing our skills."

Chopper's glare darkened. "Well 'hone your skills' in your own apartment. I'm sick of cleaning up broken glass and shit."

Sanji chuckled and dusted himself off. "We're really sorry, Chopper. Want me to make it up to you?"

Chopper's eyes narrowed. "How?"

Sanji smiled and slipped his hands in his pockets. "Chocolate cheesecake cupcakes?"

Chopper's eyes went wide. "Really? Did you really bring some? You said you might, but that was a 'might' and not a 'yes' so I wasn't sure-"

"Yes! Yes, Chopper, I brought some!" Sanji laughed.

Chopper made a noise that was somewhere between a squeak and a sigh before running back into the living room. "Usopp!" he shouted, "Usopp, he brought them!"

* * *

><p>Zoro was pleasantly surprised by his gifts. His friends seemed to know and actually care what he liked and what he actually needed. Expensive bottles of oils for cleaning and polishing his katana, new tempering and weighing stones, a larger, more detailed planner for his desk at work, one hundred and thirty dollars' worth of gas cards that could be used at any gas station, and a gift basket filled with various things like bar soap and a new tooth brush.<p>

"Did someone break into my apartment and poke around to see what I was out of or something?" Zoro asked as he looked through the basket.

"Uhhh," Kaku cleared his throat, "Break in' is such a crude term for it."

Laughter rang out through the apartment but was cut short as Usopp and Luffy came in from the kitchen with a large, green cake in their hands. Zoro sat through the song with his hand over his eyes, and then went through the humiliating, but endearing, tradition of blowing out all twenty-three candles. The crowd cheered and inhaled the cake. There was nothing left when the guests started to leave. A few stayed behind to help Luffy clean up, and Zoro found himself feeling a little fuzzy and warm inside as he sat with his friends, watching the late showing of the newest _South Park_episode.

His ears perked up when Sanji leaned over Ace. "I'm headed out, bro. I'll see you later."

"You need cash for a cab?" Ace asked sleepily.

"No, I'm good," Sanji answered. "I'm gonna walk."

Ace twisted on the couch between Zoro and Law so he could look up at his friend. "What? It's like twenty-five blocks or something!"

Sanji straightened and threw a small duffle bag over his shoulder. "I'm good, Ace. A walk isn't gonna kill me, I need the exercise."

Ace flopped back down, leaning to rest against Law's side. "Fine."

Sanji moved to the door and lifted a hand. "I'll see you guys around." He didn't look at Zoro.

The others said goodbye, thanking him for his food as he stepped out and closed the door. Zoro held still for all of a minute and a half before he stood, trying not to look like he wanted to sprint out the door behind him.

"I'm out too, everybody," he said casually, "Gotta meet with the director for the Christmas thing tomorrow."

"Oh, that sucks," Nami yawned. "Well, see ya later then. Happy birthday."

"Yeah," Usopp added with a tired smile. "Happy birthday."

His friends waved and wished him well as he pulled on his jacket and grabbed his keys. He promised Luffy he would be back for his presents in the evening tomorrow, and slipped out the door.

He flew down the stairs and out to the condo's guest parking lot. He threw on his helmet, turned on his bike, revved the engine and sped off down the street. He had no idea which way to go. Even though he knew the area fairly well, he didn't know which way a certain blond had gone. Thankfully, it turned out he didn't have to look very long. Sanji was just down the street a little ways, leaning against the wall of another apartment complex smoking. Zoro pulled up to the curb and pulled off his helmet.

"Let me give you a ride."

Sanji shook his head.

Zoro sighed. "Please."

Sanji shook his head again. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to see where I live."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "What, you think I'm gonna stalk you or something?"

Sanji shrugged and took a drag. "Maybe."

"Come on, Sanji," Zoro growled. "You can either hop on and I'll drive you home, or you can walk and I'll follow you the whole way."

Those blue eyes stared at Zoro with something a little like fear and maybe something like longing for a fraction of a moment, but then Sanji pulled that mask back over his features and the emotion was gone again.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked softly.

Zoro shrugged. "I don't know, because it's cold. Because I wanted to make sure you got home okay."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know," Zoro nodded, his gaze dropping to the dials on his front panel, "And I also know that twenty-five blocks is a long way to walk."

Sanji sighed and dropped the cigarette butt. He crushed the cherry out with the toe of his shoe and lifted the duffle bag to his shoulder. He moved across the sidewalk, watching the ground as he came near Zoro. He stopped when he was within arm's reach.

"It's not actually twenty-five blocks," Sanji murmured. "I lied."

Zoro cocked an eyebrow. "Well, how far is it?"

Sanji rolled his head to the side, popping his neck. "Uh, it's real close, like five maybe six."

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "This is just some story to get me to leave."

Sanj shook his head. "It's the truth."

Zoro growled again and wiped a hand over his face. "Just get on the damn bike."

Sanji looked like Zoro had just asked him to kill a small child.

Zoro took a breath, calming himself before he said softly. "You could always just come back to my place."

Closing his eyes, Sanji let his bag slide from his shoulder. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

He slipped his bag over both shoulders like a backpack, took the spare helmet from Zoro, and hopped on. Sanji directed Zoro through a few back streets and into a seedy district that Zoro didn't even know existed so close to Luffy's nice neighborhood.

When Sanji tapped his shoulder, he pulled over where the blond indicated and felt his stomach tighten painfully.

"Sanji…" Zoro murmured as he looked up at the building they were parked in front of. "Sanji, this is a dump. The place should be condemned."

"It's not mine, it's a friend's." Sanji slid off the bike and clipped the spare helmet to the ring. "I'm only staying here until I get back on my feet."

He turned to go, but Zoro reached out and grabbed ahold of his arm. "Sanji…" he said simply.

Sanji stopped, but he didn't turn around. He just stood on the sidewalk in front of the decomposing building.

"Sanji," Zoro swallowed, "Just come back with me to my place."

Sanji shook his head, pulling at Zoro's grip half-heartedly.

"I can't."

"Why not?" Zoro asked gently.

"I can't… be with you, Zoro. I can't have a relationship with you," Sanji growled.

Zoro's grip tightened, but he kept his voice steady. He felt the anger rising in his gut, but he was determined to remain calm. He knew he would only succeed in driving Sanji further away if he lost it.

"Tell me why."

Sanji sighed again and made another attempt to pull from Zoro's grasp. He stopped however, when he found it was useless. Zoro's hold was like iron. There was no getting away.

"It's complicated."

Zoro pulled on Sanji's arm, turning the blond to face him. He steeled his features, trying not to let the frustration that was burning just below the surface show.

"I'm not letting go until you tell me why. So you either start talking, or we stand here until we die."

It seemed for a moment, that Sanji was about to take him up on that—call his bluff, but then the blond closed his eyes and he let out a long and tired sigh. He let his head roll to the left and then the right again. The action seemed to be the cook's own version of calming himself.

"Okay," he said softly. "I'll tell you everything. But you have to swear to me that you won't tell a soul. Not a fucking soul. Do you understand?"

Zoro nodded. "I swear."

Sanji pulled away, and this time Zoro let him. The blond slipped his hands into his pockets and after a long moment of hesitation, he rolled his eyes and turned on his heel.

"Come on," he growled under his breath, "you'd better come inside."

* * *

><p>Sanji made coffee. It was the best damn coffee Zoro had ever tasted. The green-haired man sat quietly, taking sips of the unique blend, watching the blond putter around in the small kitchen. Zoro said nothing, worried that any pressing on his part would make Sanji change his mind about explaining what the hell was going on.<p>

The apartment was a studio, run down, but surprisingly tidy. The furniture was mismatched and patched, but the couch Zoro sat on was comfortable. A small television sat across the small space atop a wooden crate. There were no curtains, just a dark blanket folded and tacked over the window.

Zoro set his empty cup on the coffee table and leaned back against the cushions. He was actually content with just sitting and watching Sanji shuffle a stack of papers for the third time and write something in a small ledger. The blond grumbled under his breath and rubbed his forehead.

Zoro couldn't stop himself from asking.

"What are you doing?"

Sanji didn't look up. "I'm organizing the menu for this thing I'm doing on Sunday. There's a shit tone of vegetarians and vegans and fucking food allergies. If one person can have one thing, ten other people can't. It's a fucking nightmare."

Zoro shrugged. "Just make a bunch of different stuff."

Sanji shook his head. "It's more complicated than that." He tossed the pen on the counter and leaned over, pressing his face onto the linoleum. "What the hell kind of food do I make for people that don't really like food?"

Zoro snorted and sat up to pull off his jacket. "I really wouldn't want your job. Sounds like a huge pain in the ass."

"It's not usually," Sanji's voice was muffled.

Zoro leaned back again and waited patiently as Sanji slowly straightened. The cook didn't look at him, but he sighed and took off his jacket. He tossed it over the back of a chair and pulled off his long-sleeved shirt. Underneath was a black t-shirt that said _kiss the cook_in bright pink letters. Zoro had to smirk at that, but the humor vanished when Sanji moved close and sat on the coffee table directly in front of him. The blond's expression was grim as he rubbed his palms on his thighs.

"I guess I should start at the beginning…"

Zoro tried not to think about how one of his knees was in between Sanji's, or how as the cook leaned forward, his fidgeting hands were perilously close to his inner thigh.

"It's a good place to start," Zoro murmured.

Sanji rubbed at his eyes and spoke softly. "When I was ten, my mom—my adopted mom—got sick. She had a kind of blood cancer. My dad went a little nuts. He started overworking himself, put everything he had into the restaurant, started drinking… It was just his way of dealing with it." Sanji pulled out a cigarette as he spoke and lit up. "She finally passed away when I was twelve, and for the next few years I was kind of on my own. My dad was pretty devastated, and got pretty abusive. Not in like a he beat me kind of way, just… harsh. The only time I spent with him was when we were training, or when he was ordering me around the kitchen. I got really lonely, started to act out at school, you know, sad story blah blah blah."

Zoro watched as Sanji took another drag and laughed softly, his eyes far away in memories.

"I was a punk when I got to high school. I'd start fights, I'd talk back to teachers, my grades were shitty. I was a real piece of work. Then one day, I ran into this kid. This fucking rubber ball of dumbass energy and I just wanted to fucking _pound_ him 'cause he was always so _fucking happy_."

Zoro smirked, knowing exactly who Sanji was talking about and knowing exactly how the cook had felt.

"This kid, gah…" Sanji shook his head, taking another drag. "I started a fight with him one day."

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

Sanji saw the motion and small smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. "Yeah, I know. I was an idiot. He kicked my ass."

Zoro smiled back. "Luffy's the eighth wonder of the world."

"I know," Sanji's smiled widened. "But sixteen year old me didn't know that. I ended up in the hospital, and Luffy came to see me every day."

"Sounds like him," Zoro murmured.

Sanji nodded. "We hung out a bunch after I got better. He introduced me to Ace. I actually already knew him. I had a bunch of classes with him, but he was cool and popular, and I hated everyone. Pretty soon though, I got in with Ace and his friends. For the first time in a long, long time, I had support. I had someone I could go to when I was pissed off or scared or whatever…" Sanji looked away thoughtfully, his eyes growing hazy once again, lost in the past.

"Luffy and Ace have that effect on a lot of people," Zoro said softly.

Sanji nodded again. "Yeah…" He blinked, bringing himself back to the present. He took one last drag and snuffed the cigarette out in the ashtray sitting behind him on the coffee table. "So anyway, Ace and I got a place together after he graduated. I had another year of school, and he decided to join the Coast Guard. Everything was going really well. I was working at the restaurant, going to college for business, getting along with my dad again, Ace was making good money, we were dating these great girls…"

Zoro's gut tightened as Sanji trailed of. The cook's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he ground his teeth together like his jaw was searching for a cigarette. Zoro wanted to reach out, slide his hand through that soft hair, pull the slighter man close and tell him everything was going to be all right, but he knew it was not the right time. He sat, his blunt fingernails digging into his palms. His heart beat painfully in his chest. What the hell had happened?

"So," Sanji said quietly, "Ace finds out he's gonna be deployed. And that's okay, you know? I was real proud of him. He was gone for like six months or something, and when he got back, everything was so great. Ace and his girl, me and Cami, life was good, we were all happy…" Sanji sniffed and pulled out another cigarette. He didn't light it, he just slipped it between his lips. Maybe it was to stop his teeth from grinding.

"I thought we were all happy anyway…" Sanji said, his voice barely a whisper. "But Ace wasn't. I came home from the restaurant one night and his girlfriend was screaming at him. She was throwing shit all over the place—_my_shit, dishes and pots and silverware and stuff. It sort of stopped when I came in, and she left real quick, telling him to never speak to her again."

"Wow," Zoro breathed.

"Yeah," Sanji rubbed at the back of his neck. "Ace was just standing there. He didn't really say anything except that he was going to bed. I didn't want to press so I left him alone."

The cook leaned forward again, resting his elbows on his knees. He covered his eyes with his palms and sighed heavily. Zoro waited, his curiosity threatening to tear him apart from the inside.

"Later that night," Sanji continued, "Ace came to my room. I was pretending to be asleep, but I'm pretty sure Ace knew that. He comes in and sits on the floor next to my bed. He's all leaning against the frame, facing away from me, just staring out the window. I didn't say anything 'cause that's kind of his thing when he wants to talk about something."

Zoro nodded.

"He uh…" Sanji's voice wavered. "He told me he was going to request another deployment. I thought it was because he was upset about his girlfriend, so I told him not to, but he said it was because of me."

"Huh?" Zoro blinked. He was fairly sure where this was going, but he didn't want to believe it.

Sanji sat up, looking at Zoro sadly. "He came out to me that night, Zoro. He said he was so in love with me that sometimes he just wanted to die. He was crying so hard it made me cry, and when he got up to leave, I couldn't say anything. I couldn't say a fucking thing! He left a couple days later, and I hated myself. I hated myself so much! All I had to do was tell him it was okay, that I didn't hate him. I felt so shitty and so guilty, so I got his address over there from Luffy and wrote him every day. Every fucking day I told him that he was my best friend. I never wanted to hurt him. If he was okay with being friends, I'd be his friend until the end of the world."

Zoro's hands were clenched so hard they were starting to cramp. He released them slowly, working the pain out little by little as he listened to the cook's story.

"He wrote me one time, right before he left to come back home. The letter said that he was okay, and he still wanted to be friends. I met him at the airport, we got fucking hammered, it was pretty much how it had always been. He moved to Orange County a few weeks later, but we still stayed close."

Sanji trailed off, staring down at his hands. Zoro stayed absolutely still, not sure if the cook was actually finished or not. He didn't want to interrupt or break the spell, so he held his breath waiting to see if Sanji would continue.

But Sanji did not. He just sat, biting the inside of his lip. Zoro swallowed hard, thinking he was making a mistake by talking, but there were questions that needed answering.

"So, you rejected him then because you weren't gay," Zoro murmured, "and now…"

"I rejected him and put him through hell for two years, I'm sure," Sanji said. "We talked about it a few times. He would date all these guys, but he'd never stay with any of them. I'd ask him about them and he'd say something like 'I'd just rather hang out with you'."

Zoro nodded slowly. "And now you feel like shit because you've discovered that you are gay…"

Sanji's eyes closed. "I always was. I was just too stupid and too scared to admit it. I felt something for him, and I ignored it." His jaw clenched and he swallowed thickly. "I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I had to say something. I knew I was… changing or coming into myself or whatever, and I needed him. I called him up and invited him over. I planned on telling him… but then…"

Zoro sighed, understanding. "But then he told you about Law."

Sanji's teeth clenched so hard his jaw creaked. "He's so cool. He's so sweet and funny. He's everything I would ever want for Ace. _Fuck_, I wanted to throw myself off the balcony tonight when he came out to talk to me. I lost my chance, I waited too long, and now I'll never…" He shook his head slowly, his lips trembling.

"It was all too much. My dad, breaking up with Cami… Cami and I split because we couldn't have sex anymore. She thought it was because of her, and I never denied it. That… it was such an asshole thing for me to do to her, but I couldn't tell her what was really going on. Then those ass holes came and took away my restaurant. My _fucking life!_I didn't know what to do, so I went to The District. I just wanted someone to want me, to make me feel good, and if it was a stranger then I wouldn't have to worry about Ace finding out."

Zoro's heart hurt. "But it was me."

Sanji opened his eyes and looked at Zoro from underneath his long lashes. His gaze was so sad, so lost and lonely. Zoro's insides churned. The situation was impossible. Of course he would get mixed up in the one guy on the planet that would never be with him.

"And you feel like you betrayed him," Zoro said softly.

Sanji nodded. "I did. There's no… getting around that."

Zoro finally understood. He knew that Sanji was doing what he thought was right. Sanji cared so deeply for Ace, that he would keep the truth about himself secret. He would go on the same as always, sacrificing his own happiness for Ace and Law's. It was frustrating and heartbreaking, but it was also so noble and selfless that it made Zoro want him that much more.

Zoro scooted forward and slipped his hand over Sanji's. He squeezed, letting the other man know through that touch that he supported him.

Sanji rested his head in his free hand and slipped the fingers of his other through Zoro's. He took a shallow breath and closed his eyes again. "Thank you for listening…" he whispered.

Zoro swallowed. "You're welcome."

They sat that way for a while and Zoro watched Sanji's eyelashes dance against his cheeks. When the cook's body began to sag, Zoro pulled the blond off the coffee table and maneuvered him to sit down on the couch. Sanji came easily and laid down, his head resting on Zoro's thigh.

Zoro gently ran his fingers through Sanji's hair. "You okay?"

Sanji nodded. "I'm feeling a little relieved actually."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Sanji smiled softly. "It feels good to get the story off my chest."

Zoro continued to play with Sanji's hair and relaxed fully into the couch. He planned on staying with the cook for as long as he was needed. Zoro could ignore the pain in his chest knowing that Sanji was feeling the same. It was the shittiest of situations, but Zoro promised himself that he would help Sanji. They would get through it together.

Suddenly, a thought struck Zoro as his drooping eyelids snapped open.

"Hey, cook," he grunted.

Sanji chuckled. "That my new nickname?"

"Yes," Zoro grinned. "Anyway, how much work do you get with all the parties and things you do?"

Sanji shrugged. "I don't know, a couple hours a week. I usually get paid per event though and not by the hour."

"Why don't you get a job at another restaurant?"

Sanji sighed softly. "My dad's debts were passed to me. They're enormous and owed to some… unsavory folks. No employer's gonna hire me with who I'm affiliated with now."

Zoro had figured that. He quickly calculated in his head, working up a plan that fit in with everything else that was set up at _The Grand_.

"What if someone would?"

Sanji turned his head, looking up at Zoro with curious eyes. "What?"

Zoro continued planning in his head, organizing, doing what he was so good at. "Well…" he said softly, "I usually hire catering companies for events like awards shows, or for when the big corporate companies have conventions or something, but _The Grand_ has a full service kitchen. If I hired someone to be my food service manager or head chef or whatever, he could choose another two or three cooks to work under him, and it would save a lot of money. The cost of food, plus the cost of keeping a few cooks on staff is significantly lower than hiring from _Benny's_. That fucker squeezes thousands from me every week, just because his crab cakes are famous."

Sanji was very quiet as Zoro talked. When the green-haired man looked down at him, the blond was watching him with wide eyes.

Zoro rested his jaw in his hand. "How are your crab cakes?"

Sanji sat up, twisting around so he could sit eye to eye with Zoro.

"Awesome," Sanji said softly, "I can make 'em better than anyone else in this entire fucking city."

Zoro smirked at that. "I believe that."

Sanji blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. "But, I don't understand. Why? Why would you do this for me? You hardly know me. And you've never actually seem me work except for once at a party."

Zoro thought back to when he had entered Luffy's kitchen earlier that evening. The surprise and appreciation he had felt for the obvious high standard and level of organization, and then of course there was the excellent quality of the food.

"I just have a good feeling about it," Zoro said, "and I always go with my gut."

Sanji just sat for a moment, staring at Zoro with a look of utter astonishment. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so he closed it again. Zoro smiled at the cook's loss for words.

"It's just a job," he chuckled, "It's not like it'll fix all your problems or anything."

They sat for another moment, locked in that suspended time spell that Sanji was so adept at casting. Then the cook reached out and slid his arm around Zoro's neck. He pulled himself against the larger man before Zoro could do or say anything. Sanji hugged him tightly, burying his face into Zoro's neck.

"It's a start…" he said softly.

Zoro smiled, pleased that he could do something. "Monday, seven a.m., don't be fucking late, cook."

Sanji chuckled into his neck.

"I'll be there at six thirty."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Woohoo! I did it! Last chapter! I finished the epic birthday fic! It's North of 10,000 words, so hopefully that will appease you lovely readers. :) Also, remember that reviews will get you a smutty epilogue! (Maybe with a little Ace/Law action?) :D

Happy birthday to **bookworm_rach08**!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Sunday night, Zoro locked his office and moved to the railing overlooking the front lobby.

"Kaku, Franky," he called down to the group below, "come up to my apartment."

Franky gave him a look. "Oh shit," he said sarcastically, "are we gettin' canned?"

"What the hell, Zoro?" Law grumbled. "I need a drink! What the hell's so important we gotta wait for you guys?"

"I never said you had to wait for us," Zoro said waving his hand dismissively. "Go, hail the cab, get over there. We'll be there in a bit."

He left out the fire escape, confident that Franky and Kaku would follow. He climbed the metal stairs and entered his apartment through the back. The unit had another, more inviting entrance, but this one was more practical, and faster.

Kaku practically hopped across the kitchen and slid onto one of the bar stools. He leaned his elbows on the bar top and watched happily as Zoro pulled a beer from his fridge.

"You gonna tell us now?" he asked. "About the blond?"

Zoro took a swallow and ran his fingers through his hair as Franky took the stool next to his long-nosed friend. Leaning against the counter, the green-haired man had to chuckle. His two friends were sitting with all the excitement and impatient enthusiasm of hungry dogs.

"First off," Zoro said quietly, "I wanted to thank you guys for not saying anything at the party."

Kaku and Franky both nodded.

"It wasn't coming up in casual," Kaku said.

Franky hummed in agreement. "And the fact that you both acted like you didn't know each other? We got a clue."

Zoro sighed heavily. "Yeah, guy's so deep in the closet he's set up camp."

"We figured," Kaku said.

"Turns out he's also friends with Nami."

"Ooooh!" Kaku and Franky said in unison. The two of them knuckle-bumped and Franky continued. "You sure know how to fuck yourself over, boss."

"We deserve raises," Kaku snickered.

"I know," Zoro mumbled, "You're getting them."

"EH?"

Zoro nodded. "Not because you didn't say anything. I'm giving you guys raises because I _knew_I didn't have to worry about you two. I didn't even have to think twice about how you guys would recognize him. That kind of trust…" Zoro paused to take another swallow. He sighed, shrugged his shoulders. "That kind of trust is really rare."

Kaku grinned at him. Franky smiled and looked away embarrassed. "Thanks boss," the larger man said quietly.

Zoro shrugged again. "Well, you've earned it. And I hope twenty cents more an hour is adequate to show my appreciation."

"Hell yeah," Kaku slapped his hands down in the bar top.

"Shit," Franky looked at Kaku. "What the hell am I gonna do with all this extra cash?"

"Buy Zoro a blowup doll," Kaku chuckled into his fist. "A blond one."

"There's more," Zoro said into his beer.

Kaku and Franky stopped teasing and turned to listen.

Zoro rolled his head, popping joints and effectively tightening his shoulders. He needed a damn massage.

"The raise could also be a bribe… possibly." He eyed his friends carefully as he continued. "I sort of… gave him a job."

Franky's eyes went wide. "Really! Doing what?"

Zoro made a face. "Cooking, moron."

"Oh," Franky's features relaxed, but then his eyebrows shot right back up. "Really! You mean we're gonna have that guy cooking all that fucking Super-Amazing food in _our kitchen!_"

Zoro nodded again. "That's the plan."

"Holy…" Kaku turned to Franky and they high-fived. "I fucking love my job."

"I fucking love your job too," Franky agreed.

"So, just to clarify," Zoro tossed his empty beer bottle in the recycle, "Due to the unfortunate connections Sanji and I have, I need you two to just forget that night ever happened. It won't be that hard. You'll only see him at work. His life circles won't coincide with our life circles. Nami doesn't need to know about it, and neither do Law and Ace. Especially Ace. Understand?"

Kaku saluted and Franky nodded his head. "You can count on us, boss."

Zoro relaxed against the sink counter.

"Yeah… I know."

* * *

><p>A month passed. Christmas was just around the corner. <em>The Grand<em>was booked with shows every week, and the pre and post production filled the days until the first of the New Year. Zoro had even given up his precious Wednesdays to come in and work on set and lighting between gigs. It was all right though; he had planned it that way. The holiday season was always like that, it was a good thing. If a theater wasn't overworking its staff in November and December, someone was doing something wrong.

Sanji's cooking had proven time and time again to be far better than anything Benny had ever sent over through his catering service. Sanji's crab cakes blew Benny's out of the park, and his elegant desserts nuked the finest bakeries in Manhattan. The best part about it though, was Sanji could make things that were sophisticated and delicious on a very small budget. The money Zoro saved was used for new lighting fixtures and a much-needed pait job and sign for the outside of the building.

Franky and Kaku were true to their word and never said anything about that night. They also got along surprisingly well with Sanji, which was a plus. The cook fit in with the rest of the group, in a professional sense. He worked well with everyone, and when his kitchen duties were done, he sometimes came in and helped with setup or takedown. When the work days were over and he was invited to come out to the clubs, Sanji would refuse politely, saying he needed to plan the meals for the next day, or reminding everyone he had to be at work several hours before they did. It didn't seem to bother anyone that Sanji was somewhat antisocial. He was "straight" after all. He wasn't expected to be into that. Sanji's refusal to accompany the group was expected and therefore, didn't shake the moral in any way.

Zoro continued to work like a machine during the day and partied hard at night. He knew he was compensating for something he didn't want to think very hard about, and he knew that he was being somewhat self-destructive, but he didn't care. He saw how Sanji wanted to be a part of the nightlife. He saw that Sanji was lonely, and he saw the way the cook looked at Ace. It _killed_Zoro that he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted Sanji to be happy, he wanted Ace to be happy, and God damnit he wanted Law to be happy too. Unfortunately, he knew there was no way all of that could happen. Someone had to forfeit, and Sanji was doing just that. Zoro was impressed and humbled and a thousand other good things by the cook's sacrifice. But he was also frustrated, and the reason he was frustrated was because his own feelings for the cook were so damn strong.

Zoro never kidded himself. He wanted Sanji, he could admit that. He'd wanted Sanji since he had first laid eyes on him, and that want had not diminished even after several months. Every time those blue eyes turned to him, or he caught a glimpse of a slender finger tucking a strand of silky, blond hair behind an ear, Zoro's heart raced. Just a few words from that smooth voice and Zoro's stomach was in knots. He thought about Sanji all the time; at work, at the club, at home… The only time the blond was not on his mind was when Zoro forced him out during his solitary training. The sing of the blade and the familiar, practiced movements of his katas seemed to be the only thing in the universe that could clear Zoro's head.

The whole thing was useless. It was stupid. It was frustrating. Sanji had been his once, for a single night, but Zoro knew he would never get that chance again. Like in all good dramas, Sanji was in love with someone else, and just to throw salt in the wound, the one he was in love with was Zoro's good friend.

"Gah…" Zoro muttered under his breath, "They can't write this shit…"

_WHAM!_Sanji's foot collided with Zoro's side and the swordsman went flying across the workout mat.

"What'd you say, moss-head?" Sanji leaned over him, hands on his hips. "Maybe if you'd quit mumbling and block properly you wouldn't get your ass beat."

Zoro stared up at the blond from the floor, his features placid. "Shut up, cook. You know you can only knock me down 'cause I let you."

Sanji scoffed and held out an arm to help Zoro up. "Keep telling yourself that."

A few days after Sanji had started working for him, Zoro had asked him about his fighting style. The cook had been enthusiastic about explaining it, and so the two had decided to get together and spar sometime. Zoro had learned very quickly that he couldn't come at a training session with Sanji like he had with Ace. Sanji's attacks were honed to a level of skill that Zoro had never seen before. He moved so gracefully it was almost like a dance. Sanji was much faster than Ace, and the cook's kicks hit about a million times harder.

Sparring with Ace felt pretty good, Zoro usually ended up fairly winded after about forty-five minutes. With Sanji, he was worn out in fifteen.

"I'm not even gonna justify your lameness today with an explanation why you're sucking." Sanji's words were harsh, but there was no real bite to them. He and Zoro's conversations were usually filled with colorful diatribe that neither of them really meant.

"Not only are you slow on the right side—like you always are—but now you're not even watching my feet, or my eyes! I could come straight up to you with a pot and crack you over the head and you'd never know!"

"I thought you weren't going to justify my lameness with an explanation," Zoro grumbled as he stood.

"I couldn't stop myself," Sanji sighed. "I can't help but help pathetic people."

Zoro had to smirk at that. "I just have a lot of stuff on my mind."

"Oh yeah?" Sanji backed up, readying himself for another round. "Not good when you're sparring with someone that could kill you. Like what kind of stuff?"

Zoro shrugged. "Just stuff, schedules and shit. And you're wrong, you wouldn't be able to kill me."

"Mm."

Sanji gave Zoro about half a second to steady himself before he moved in low, faster than fast. Zoro just barely leapt out of the way and danced to the side.

It wasn't that Sanji was a better fighter; there was no better fighter. After one session together, the two had realized they complimented each other perfectly. They worked it out that Zoro was the stronger of the two by far, but Sanji was much faster. Zoro could take anything Sanji threw at him, so the cook was able to work on his strength as well as his speed. Then on the other hand, Sanji could take a punch, but he could also block pretty much anything Zoro tossed his way. He also kept Zoro on his toes, so for the first time ever, Zoro could not only go all out, but he could also work on his speed at the same time.

Forty minutes later, Sanji slipped his shirt on and toweled his hair dry. "Sound check at seven?"

Zoro nodded as he pulled on his shoes. "Yeah, but they're having some big cast party thing tonight and renting out some restaurant. You gotta be in early tomorrow, so you can head home now."

"When are you gonna eat?"

Zoro shrugged. "I have hot pockets in my freezer."

Sanji made a noise. "Gross. I'll go back with you and make you something that won't sit in your stomach for five days."

"You don't have to," Zoro said softly.

Sanji shut his locker and lifted his bag. "I want to."

Zoro sat on the bench, unable to look directly at the cook. This was one of those moments, one of those things that had Zoro's stomach tying in knots. Sanji treated him so well that it was hard to forget about everything that hung between them. It was obviously because of what Zoro had done for him, but Zoro still couldn't help himself from wishing that the kindness and the special attention was paid because maybe Sanji cared about him too. Even if it was only a little, the thought still made Zoro's heart race.

"Well, fine," Zoro stood and hid his despondency underneath a cheeky reply. "Then I want that pasta thing with the beef and peppers we had last week."

Sanji chuckled and followed him out of the locker room. "Wow, so demanding."

Zoro snorted. "You're the one that insisted on coming to work just to feed me."

"You don't eat properly and you get cranky. You get cranky and you're no fun to work for. I'm just looking out for myself."

As the two walked together the few blocks to _The Grand_, the banter eased and they started talking about the upcoming show, _Arcadia_. Sanji had never heard of the production, so Zoro was happy to educate him. When they arrived at the theater, they parted at the lobby, and Zoro made his way upstairs. He dropped his gym bag in his office, and continued up to the sound booth. Law was there, sitting in the tech's chair and watching the crew put the finishing touches on the set.

"Hey," Zoro said as he slid into the seat next to his friend.

Law turned to him and smiled. "Hey there!"

"Where's Larry?" Zoro asked, referring to the visiting company's sound technician.

"He's out with some of the cast," Law leaned his elbows on the board, craning his neck to get a better view below. "I guess they're done with all the checks. Right now they're just going through a few last minute blocking changes."

"Principals?" Zoro asked, leaning forward as well.

Law grinned. "Obviously you've seen the guy playing Hodge."

Zoro smiled back. "I was thinking more of Noakes, the gardener."

"Oh yeah?" Law's eyebrows lifted. "I don't think I've seen him yet."

"Hot."

"Cool."

The two sat for a while watching the actors portraying Bernard, Hannah, and Valentine move through the new blocking of the first scene in act one. It wasn't the best talent Zoro had ever seen, but the cast was decent enough. The reviews were sure to be good.

When Sanji came with food for Zoro, Ace was with him.

"Look who I found wandering around," Sanji smiled as he handed Zoro a large bowl of pasta and a glass of iced tea.

"Hey, babe," Law's face lit up and he tilted his head back.

Ace kissed him upside down over the back of the chair. "What are you up to, sexy?"

"Just thinking about you," Law said in a playful sing-song.

"Gross," Zoro said as he shoveled savory beef and pasta in his mouth. "Get out of my sound booth. You guys are making me lose my appetite."

"Ha," Law scoffed, "there isn't a force on earth that could actually do that."

Zoro just grunted and continued eating.

Law looked up at Ace and pouted. "He's no fun anymore."

"He was fun at one time?" Ace joked.

Zoro gave him a look, but Ace just grinned back at him.

"Seriously," Law whined and leaned back over the sound board, "He's been all grumpy since Mystery Blond."

Zoro froze. That particular topic hadn't been brought up in so long in casual conversation that he hadn't expected it and so had no way to defend against it. He swallowed with more than a little trouble and tried not to think about the tension filling Sanji's side of the room.

"I thought you guys would be bored with that by now," Zoro muttered.

Ace chuckled. "How could we when it still makes you squirm?"

"I'm not squirming."

"Hey," Sanji rose from the chair he had been perched on, "I gotta go prep for tomorrow. I'll see you guys-"

"Wait, wait, Sanji," Ace waved him closer. "I know you don't like the Gay stories, but have you heard what happened to this guy?" He pointed at Zoro.

Zoro didn't have to look. He could feel what the cook was thinking. The tension and the embarrassment was tangible in the air. He heard Sanji shift his feet and slip his hands in his pockets. The blond was desperate to get out of the sound booth, but bolting now would be suspicious.

"Uh…" Sanji said softly, "no. No, I haven't."

"Come on," Zoro growled, his voice coming out much more steady then he felt. "He doesn't need to hear this."

Law turned around, gripping the side of the chair in excitement. "Zoro saved some guy on Eighth, that's this really nasty street in The District, and then took him home. Just met him, and he's taking him back to his place. _He didn't even get his name_."

Zoro worked up enough courage to glance sideways at Sanji. The blond was standing nonchalant, slouched, his hands hanging in his pockets. Outside, the cook was cool and casual, completely the opposite of what Zoro felt on the inside.

"Zoro doesn't do that very often, I'm assuming?" Sanji asked.

"No way," Law shook his head. "Kaku said he was sexy as hell too. I'm totally bummed I missed him."

Zoro saw the smallest hint of a smile pull at the corner of Sanji's mouth, but the cook hid it well. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and shifted his stance again.

"So, what does this blond have to do with Zoro being no fun?"

Ace ran a hand through his hair. "Guy disappeared on him in the morning. He moped _forever_ after that. We'd go to _Alabaster_and he'd look for him all night." He turned to meet Zoro's deadpan stare and spread his hands in surrender. "You hid it pretty well, man, but not that well."

Zoro set his empty bowl on the board and took a swallow of his iced tea. He was so beyond embarrassed that he had no idea what kind of face he was giving Ace at that moment. There was no way he was ever going to be able to look Sanji in the eye ever again.

"You think he was from out of town?" Sanji asked.

_God damnit, Sanji,_ Zoro thought to himself, _Stop asking questions…_

Law shrugged. "Could be."

"Why are you guys still here?" Zoro muttered. "Doesn't Ace dance tonight?"

Law spread his arms and stretched. "Yeah, yeah, I'm done. I was just waiting for the man." He stood and took Ace by the hand. "Let's go, babe. I wanna see you get naked."

Ace grinned. "You don't have to wait for me to be on shift to see that."

Sanji stepped out of the way as the two moved towards the sound booth door. "Have a good night, Sanji," Law smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, night Sanji," Ace echoed. "Zoro, we'll see you at the club in what, like an hour?"

Zoro waved them off. "Something like that."

Sanji nodded to them. "Bye guys."

The door closed behind the couple. Zoro wanted to disappear. Sanji just stood, hands in his pockets, his face still impassive and cool. He didn't look at Zoro as he moved closer and sat in the chair Law had just vacated.

A few long minutes passed in silence as they watched the director talk to the actors on stage. The tension in the air increased and Zoro's heart pounded in a slow, hard thump against his ribcage.

After what seemed like years to Zoro, Sanji finally spoke.

"Kaku's never said anything about it?"

Zoro scratched at his jaw. "No. I basically bribed him… and Franky."

Sanji chuckled softly. Whatever he was thinking, it didn't show on his face as he watched the actors below.

"So…" he said after a few more minutes of silence, "you moped? For real?"

Zoro wanted to throw up. "I didn't mope… I was just pissed that you disappeared and I couldn't ask you what was wrong."

Sanji didn't look at him. "You were worried about me?"

Zoro played with a set of knobs that were currently disconnected. He tried to wet his lips, realizing that his mouth was suddenly very dry.

"Of course I was worried… you were really upset."

Another long silence passed before Sanji spoke again. "Did you really look for me?"

Zoro growled. "Stop with the third degree already! I had…" he paused and lowered his voice. "It was really good, okay? I liked you a lot, but then you disappeared, and I didn't know your name, I didn't know how to find you… I had no idea who I'd just taken home and fucked. You could have been under age, or somebody's husband or some shit."

Sanji turned farther away from him, leaning his elbows on the table. "What would you have done if I'd come back? What if I had just shown up at _Alabaster_one night?"

Zoro sighed, seeing the way Sanji's shoulders sagged.

"I would have asked you to come back to my apartment with me again."

Sanji breathed deep; his posture not giving away whatever he was thinking. He slowly moved his arm and rested his jaw in his hand. He was still turned fully away from Zoro, and the swordsman felt himself longing to see Sanji's face.

"So…" Sanji said softly, "you looked for me because you wanted to have sex with me again…"

Zoro would have punched himself if it was actually possible. "Yes and no." _Wait, that sounded bad._"I wanted to, but that wasn't all. I really did want to know if you were okay. I wanted to know what had made you so sad. I don't know. I just… wanted to talk to you again."

Slowly, Sanji turned. He looked over his arm at Zoro with his sad blue eyes. His grief was unchecked, his despair unrestrained. Zoro's heart ached at the sight.

"What would you have said to me?" he whispered.

Zoro didn't move. He stayed leaning against the sound board, his body reined in tightly. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull the cook into his arms but he restrained himself.

"I probably would have done the same thing I did at your apartment," Zoro said quietly. "But, I mean, who knows back then? I probably would have offered that you stay with me or something."

Sanji's expression didn't change, but something happened to his eyes. The blue that had been dull and forlorn only moments ago, brightened. The cook turned away quickly, as if knowing the change was happening and he did not want Zoro to see. Sanji straightened, running his hands over the sound board nervously, clenching and unclenching his fingers. He stood.

"I… I need to go."

He barely made it two steps before Zoro was out of the chair and sliding his arms around the cook's thin body, one around the blond's shoulders, and the other around Sanji's waist. "Sanji…" he whispered as he buried his face in Sanji's neck. The cook was shaking, trembling just as hard as he had that first night the two of them had been together. Zoro pressed his body against that hard, lean frame, and almost groaned as Sanji melted against him. He had expected resistance, not this complete and desperate submission.

Sanji's hands ran over Zoro's forearm. His cheek nuzzled into Zoro's hair. "Zoro…" he pleaded. His breath was heavy. "Please… please don't do this…"

Zoro said nothing and pressed his lips to Sanji's neck. He felt fingers in his hair as he trailed kisses up to the cook's ear. His groin throbbed almost painfully when Sanji arched against him. The cook was wound so tight, repressed so hard that he was hyper sensitive, desperate for any kind of physical touch.

"Don't go…" Zoro whispered. He slid his hand down to Sanji's hips, caressed the skin he knew was soft and supple under a layer of denim. "You don't want to…"

Sanji let out a soft breath and steadied himself with his hand on the wall. Zoro bit the blond's ear gently and Sanji's head fell back, his eyes slipped closed. The swordsman was thrilled at how responsive the cook was and whispered into his ear.

"You can't deny that you want this," he growled. "I want it too. Just fucking let go for a little while."

Sanji turned around in Zoro's arms and pressed himself close. Their hard breath mingled, their hands came back up to grip at clothing, slide over skin. Zoro's eyes met the cook's and there was one moment, one instant of perfect understanding. There was one fraction of a second where Zoro saw those blue eyes flash crystal, like the sky on a clear summer's day.

Then Sanji's lips were on his.

For the past few weeks, Zoro had been pushing the reality of what was happening to him to the back of his mind. He knew if he ignored it, he wouldn't have to admit it. But now, here it was, right in front of him. Happening to him. He was sure about what he felt and there was no getting around it. No running away.

Sanji's tongue slid over his. The cook's hands caressed the sides of his face, moved down to cup the back of his neck. He was forceful and demanding, rough in just the way Zoro liked. This was not the Sanji who was experiencing his first time with a man. This was a more confident and unrestrained Sanji, he was reckless without being too overpowering. He was as sexy in action as he was in bearing and Zoro's restraint didn't have a chance. The swordsman groaned. He felt himself losing it in a way he hadn't since he had been young and innocent.

Zoro wasn't sure if Sanji had backed them up, or if he himself had pushed the cook, but the weight of their bodies made a hard thud against the wall when they hit it. Sanji moaned breathlessly and threw his head against the wood as Zoro bit into the flesh of his neck. The swordsman trailed his hands down tightly muscled sides. He felt those strong fingers in his hair again, pulling, kneading, guiding Zoro to where the blond wanted to be kissed.

But then something happened. As Zoro undid the button of Sanji's jeans, as he slid his hand into the cook's pants to feel the erection waiting for him there, Zoro felt Sanji's whole body tense. When Zoro raised his head, Sanji started to push him away. He wouldn't go at first, but Sanji was strong. Not as strong as Zoro, but it was enough.

"No…" Sanji whispered. "I can't do this… I can't…"

Zoro let go and took a small step back. Sanji growled, a furious growl that was perilously close to a scream. He put the heels of his palms to his temples and pressed on the sides of his head.

"Fuck!" he cried. "_Fuuuuuuck!_Fuck! I can't do this!"

Zoro tried to calm himself, steady his breathing. "Why?" he asked softly, feeling the anger building inside him.

Sanji lowered his hands and opened his eyes. He stared at the floor at Zoro's feet. "I just can't, Zoro. I can't do that to Ace. I can't be that shitty of a friend."

The anger peaked and boiled over. Zoro's restraint had broken, his nerves were shot to shit. There was nothing to stop him, to hold him back anymore. He moved forward, slamming his fist to the wall by Sanji's head. The blond looked up, his eyes wide. His body tensed like it did during their sparring matches, but the cook made no moves towards defending himself.

"You're not a shitty friend!" Zoro growled. "You're fucking killing yourself so he can be happy! Do you have any idea what he'd do if he knew that!"

"Yes!" Sanji growled back. "I do know what he'd do, and it's not right! He's happy with Law! It's the happiest I've ever seen him! I don't have the right to fuck it all up!"

"That's his choice if he wants to fuck it up!" Zoro snarled. "It's not your responsibility!"

Sanji pushed off the wall, forcing Zoro to back up. "It IS my responsibility! I made _years_of his life a fucking hell! Now, for the first time, I can sit back and watch him and not feel fucking guilty about how miserable he is!"

"But now _you're_miserable!"

"That doesn't matter!"

"It does matter!" Zoro roared. "It matters a hell of a lot to me!"

Sanji stared at him, his breath heavy once again from the lure of the fight. His eyes had that fiery blue back and they regarded Zoro carefully. His despair, his anger, and his longing slowly melted away to reveal a hesitant and cautious curiosity. His lips parted in silent question, but then he stopped and swallowed thickly. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw.

"You're always helping people, Zoro," he murmured. "You have this compulsion to help people who have problems, or are down, or hurting. You can't help yourself. I saw that in you right away. It's an amazing quality, not enough people have it."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Zoro snarled.

"I'm just another person you're trying to fix. I'm just another… case that needs to be solved." Sanji shook his head. "I heard about what you've done for the people around you. You take lost causes and you give them these amazing second chances. You give them their lives back, and they worship you for it. That's what I am. I was a lost cause, and you gave me an amazing second chance. Now, you see I'm still struggling with things and you're still trying to fix it."

"You're wrong," Zoro clenched his jaw. "It's not like that with you."

Sanji took another step forward. "Then what the hell is it like, Zoro? Why does what happens to me matter so much to you?"

Zoro closed his eyes and he let out a long breath. Even as his stomach threatened to heave up everything inside, he returned his gaze to Sanji's beautiful eyes and spoke in a voice that was much steadier than his heart.

"Because, Sanji, when you're miserable, it makes me miserable."

He heard Sanji's clipped inhale.

Zoro continued, not giving the cook a chance to respond. "When you're upset, I want to kill someone. When I see you look at Ace with those eyes… my heart hurts for you. You put on this face and go on like there's nothing wrong, but I see it." Zoro opened his eyes and looked at Sanji once again. "I wish you would just tell Ace so you could at least have the option of moving on and we could stop all these secrets."

Sanji stared at him. "Zoro… you're making it sound like… l-like…"

"Like I love you?" Zoro asked. "That's because I do. I've been in love with you for months." The swordsman's heart steadied as he said the words. Sanji had been right about what he had said back at his apartment. It was an immeasurable relief to get what you're hiding off your chest. Zoro slid his hands into his pockets, feeling better than he had in a long time.

The cook stared at him, shock evident on every part of every feature. Zoro was proud he had put it there, even if he had no idea what he was supposed to do now.

"I…" Sanji's voice caught.

"That's why I want you to tell Ace," Zoro continued. "You need to tell him about yourself, and tell him you love him. Otherwise, I'm gonna go crazy watching you drive yourself crazy."

Sanji let out a breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and then collected himself. He looked up at Zoro.

"What about Law?"

Zoro shook his head. "I know Law. I know he wouldn't want to be with someone who was wishing they were with someone else. Unless he already knows about Ace's feelings for you, and they both still think Ace has no chance with you."

At Zoro's words, the sound booth door opened. Zoro's heart leapt into his throat when he turned to see a lanky figure slowly stepping over the threshold. If Zoro felt sick before, now he felt like he wanted to die.

Law pushed the door shut behind him and leaned against it. He shoved both his hands into his pockets.

"I do know…" he said softly. "I know about Ace's feelings for Sanji. He told me when we first got together."

Zoro's fists clenched at his sides. "Law, I didn't—"

"It's okay Zoro," Law shook his head. "You're right. I don't want to be with someone who's only wishing they were with someone else…"

Sanji stared at the ground, his eyes wide and terrified. "How much did you hear?"

Law turned to him and his eyes flashed. "Everything. I came back to get my hat, and I heard noises like someone was fucking up here. I decided to bail, I'd get my hat later… but then I heard Sanji's voice. The Sanji who's supposed to be straight."

The cook said nothing.

"You're the mystery blond, aren't you?" Law asked.

Sanji nodded his head slowly.

Law laughed a laugh devoid of humor and laced with bitterness. "Well, looks like everyone's in love with just the wrong person. I love Ace, Ace loves Sanji, Zoro loves Sanji, and Sanji loves Ace. Shit… it's a fucking Greek tragedy…" With that, Law's lips started to tremble and tears collected in the corners of his eyes.

Zoro almost panicked. Law hadn't cried in years, not since Zoro had helped him sober up. For him to break down now, meant that this was much more devastating to him then Zoro had first anticipated.

He moved to reach out to his friend, but Sanji got there first. The cook stepped across the sound booth and took Law gently by the arm. Law didn't resist. Perhaps he was too far gone into his despair to even think about it. Sanji pulled him, made Law turn and look at him.

"You're wrong," Sanji said simply.

Sanji then pulled Law out of the room, and Zoro could do nothing but watch.

* * *

><p>Zoro was an idiot. He had left his keys in his office, his office that was now locked. Locked by Sanji, right after the cook had pulled Law inside with him. God knew what they were doing in there, but as Zoro paced the stairwell, leaned over the balcony, and just generally drove himself insane, the inside of his office was quiet. Zoro hadn't heard a peep for almost an hour. Had they killed each other? Double suicide or something?<p>

And, as if things couldn't get any more fucked up, the door opened, and in walked the last person on earth that Zoro wanted to see. No really, he would rather it have been Don Q.

Ace took the stairs three at a time, meeting Zoro at the top. His face was a mixture of worry and fear.

"What the hell's going on, Zoro? I got a text from Law saying there was an emergency and I needed to call in sick and come here."

Zoro ran a hand over his mouth and said truthfully, "I really have no idea."

Ace looked around. "Where is he?"

Zoro pointed to his office door. "He's in there."

Ace, looking more confused and worried by the second, moved to the door, but when he tried to open it, it wouldn't budge.

"Why the hell is it locked?" He turned and pounded on the thick wood with his fist. "Law! Babe, are you okay? What the hell's going on!"

The door opened suddenly and Law stood just inside. Zoro's stomach tightened painfully at the look on his face. It was relaxed, calm. He didn't seem upset at all anymore.

"Hey, babe," he said softly.

"What's wrong?" Ace sounded almost frantic.

Law shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. But you need to talk to Sanji."

"What?" Ace's face paled. "Sanji? Why? What happened?"

When Ace tried to look past Law into the office, Law took his jaw firmly in his hand and pulled the larger man's face back to him. "Look at me. Ace, look at me."

Ace turned back to him, leaned into him. "Yeah?"

Law took Ace's cheeks in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "I love you. I'm gonna be right here, okay?"

Ace let out a breath. "Fuck, you're scaring me."

Law shook his head and pulled away. "Don't be scared."

Zoro watched as Law moved away from Ace. He came close and took Zoro's hand. The slighter man pulled Zoro to the stairs and they sat, huddled together, watching as Sanji came forward.

The cook stood with his hands in his pockets. He had a cigarette between his lips, smoldering a fingernail's width from the filter. He looked calm and collected, infinitely more composed than Zoro knew he would be if he had been in Sanji's shoes.

"Hey…" Sanji said softly.

"Hi," Ace murmured. "What's going on?"

Sanji stepped forward and closed the office door behind him. "I needed to talk to you."

Ace nodded, backing up to lean against the balcony railing. "Okay, I'm here."

Sanji stared at the floor for a long moment before he closed his eyes. "I'm gonna tell you something. Something you're probably not going to like very much, but… I need to. Okay?"

Ace blinked. "Uh... okay."

Sanji took a breath. "Do you remember the night you told me about Law?"

Ace frowned, "Yeah."

"Did you ever wonder why I just showed up at your place at two in the morning?"

Ace nodded again. "Yeah, but I figured… with your dad and the restaurant and all…"

Sanji looked up at Ace, and Zoro's stomach flip-flopped at the look in his eyes. "I came to tell you about Cami."

"Cami?"

Sanji nodded. "I came that night to talk to you about how fucked up our relationship had gotten. About how I couldn't have sex with her any more, and everything that that… might have meant."

Ace stared at Sanji, long and hard. His eyes were wide, his hands gripped the railing behind him for support.

"I… I'm… what?"

Sanji took a breath and continued. "I didn't have anyone else I could trust to talk to about it. You were the only person I knew that wouldn't get all fucking weird and judge me, or condemn me or some shit. But I got to your place and you were so excited that I couldn't talk about it—couldn't find the right time to bring it up. You were happy for the first time in forever so... I didn't want to kill it."

Zoro's heart was hammering in his chest. His mouth was dry again.

"I don't understand…" Ace asked slowly, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Sanji murmured, "that I came to you that night because I wanted to tell you that I thought I might be gay, and that I had these really strong feelings for you, but I didn't understand them, and I didn't know what to do."

Ace's breathing was harsh, his eyes were wide, unblinking. "But… you didn't tell me. You've never told me that. I would remember if you'd have told me something like that. Why haven't you told me this already? This was a long time ago. How long…" Ace must have realized he was rambling because he covered his mouth with his hand and took a few deep breaths.

"You didn't tell me…" he said, is voice muffled.

"No," Sanji agreed. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to mess up what you had. What you had _finally_found. I left your place that night knowing that I needed to go somewhere far away. I needed to not be in the way of your happiness anymore."

Zoro had been listening with a heavy weight settling on his shoulders. He tensed as Sanji spoke. He heard the blond's confessions and his heart sank. He felt Law's hand tighten on his, being the solid support that he always was.

"I just wanted you to be happy," Sanji continued. "I didn't care about anything else."

"But…" Ace's eyes were watery but the tears did not fall. "But then you really did disappear! Where did you go! I heard about Cami and then you were gone!"

Sanji nodded. "I broke it off with Cami. I told her to leave. I had nothing to give her, and because of our recent intimacy problems, she went easy."

Ace's lip trembled. "Where did you go?"

Sanji paused and he looked at the ground as if he was ashamed. "…The District."

Ace's hands went to his head. He laced his fingers together and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh my God…" Ace cried. "Sanji… Sanji, why? Why? I would have… Why didn't you tell me? _Why didn't you come to me?_"

Sanji moved closer. "Because I know you, I knew what you would've done. You would have broken up with Law and offered me everything. You would have sacrificed your happiness for me, and I couldn't handle it."

"But, Sanji—"

"You've already been through so much pain because of me. I couldn't let it continue when you had something so amazing." Sanji reached out and ran his hand over Ace's jaw. "So I left. I ran. I hid away for a few days to cool my head, and then I decided to find out on my own if it was really happening."

Ace took a few calming breaths. He slid his laced fingers down his head to rest at the back of his neck. He opened his eyes and looked at Sanji again.

"So, was it?" he asked softly. "Was it happening?"

Sanji locked eyes with Ace and slowly nodded. "Yes."

Ace dropped his hands. He took a few more calming breaths. He put his hands on his hips, but then dropped them, seeming to be unsure as to what he should do with them.

"I'm sorry I lied to you for so long," Sanji whispered.

Ace looked at the floor at Sanji feet. He rested his hands on his hips again and swallowed thickly. His jaw trembled and he let out a harsh, shuddering breath.

"Sanji…" he murmured, his anguish at what happened to his friend was obvious.

Sanji moved close and let Ace pull him into a hug. Zoro felt Law stiffen next to him, and he found it was his turn to squeeze Law's hand in reminder.

Ace held Sanji a long time, long enough for Zoro to understand that they both needed this. Sanji needed to know that Ace understood, and Ace needed to cry at the loss of the Sanji he knew. Ace needed to feel the hurt and the pain that Sanji had already gone through and conquer it, just as Sanji had done. The swordsman sat watching, tense, waiting for whatever was coming next.

"I'm so sorry…" Ace said, his voice muffled into Sanji's neck. "I'm so sorry, Sanji."

"It's okay," Sanji whispered. He pushed at the larger man and wiped tear tracks from Ace's cheeks. "It's okay…"

Ace sniffed and leaned back against the railing, bringing Sanji with him. "It's… it's a shock. I'm shocked."

Sanji chuckled, "I know, and I haven't even told you the rest."

"There's more?" Ace's voice was high.

Sanji nodded. "The night I went to The District, guess what club I chose out of all the clubs to choose from?"

Ace looked at him. "You didn't…"

Sanji smiled. "I saw you dance."

Ace let out a half laugh and smiled back. "Did you like it?"

"Yes." Sanji let his hands go to Ace's arms. He kneaded the flesh there, coaxing muscles to relax and tension to ease. "I saw how amazing you were, and I saw you with Law, and I felt like I had done the right thing." Sanji sighed heavily then and looked away. His eyes lost in memory.

"I decided then that I would find someone, try it out just once, but then never go back ever again. I would hide it from you, and let you keep on thinking that I was straight so I wouldn't come between you and anything you wanted."

"Sanji—"

"Let me finish." Sanji's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "It all worked out because I had barely come to this decision… when I saw him."

"Him?" Ace choked.

"He was coming at me with this look. This look like… I don't know, a hunter or something. It was like I was prey that he was stalking. We came close and it felt…" Sanji shook his head. "It felt like a fight. Like a match where everyone's eyes are on you and the crowd is cheering and your adrenaline's pumping. He looked at me with those eyes and I thought I was _on fire_…"

Sanji's voice had gone quieter and Zoro's body started to tremble. Law slid an arm around his shoulders and whispered gently into his ear. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but I think I might be jealous anyway."

Zoro squeezed his hand once again, understanding now why Sanji and Law had decided to have him here to listen.

"I didn't know what to do so I just passed him by, watched him over my shoulder as he walked away. I swore to myself that if I ever saw him again, I would talk to him. It didn't matter what was happening." Sanji laughed then. "Turns out, a few hours later, I'm half drunk in some ally with a guy that looks like a vampire, and that same guy shows up and saves me."

Sanji leaned in close and said even softer into Ace's ear. "Guy turns out to be an ass hole, and kind of a weirdo. I mean he dyes his hair green."

Ace inhaled sharply. His body went ridged. When Sanji pulled away, his eyes were enormous.

"You…" Ace tripped over his next words. "Y-you're Mystery Blond…"

Sanji nodded.

"Oh my God…" Ace breathed.

"I didn't tell you to make you feel sorry for me, or make you feel obligated to… do whatever…" Sanji pulled away and placed his hands on his hips. "I just wanted you to know. Zoro, and now Law, have both told me that it's not fair to anyone if I just let all the secrets pile up, and I get it now. Everything will just fester and someone will end up going crazy if I don't say something."

Ace nodded. "You're killing yourself keeping it all in."

Sanji looked away and nodded.

Ace and Sanji stood in silence for what seemed like forever. Then finally, Ace pushed off the balcony and straightened. "Sanji, there's something you need to know."

Zoro felt Law shrink beside him. The slighter man pulled his legs up and put his head on his knees. No doubt he knew what was coming next, and Zoro ached for him. It was a horrible situation to be in the middle of. It was a terrible, unfortunate thing. Zoro wasn't feeling so great either, he was just waiting for the inevitable words that would seal fate and take Sanji away from him forever.

Ace slid his hands into his pockets. He took a breath.

"I already told you I love you. I've loved you for… years, much, much longer than you realize. I've given up jobs, turned down potential partners, prayed… just waiting. Waiting forever for you to tell me what you've just told me."

Zoro's heart broke as Law shook beside him.

"But…" Ace continued, "It's not like that anymore."

Law's head shot up. Zoro's heart skipped and then started to pound mercilessly in his chest.

Sanji's eyes widened. "It's not?"

Ace shook his head. "I never thought I could feel for anyone as much as I did for you. I didn't think there was room for anything else."

Then, for the first time since they started talking, Ace looked away from Sanji. His eyes rested on Law, who was breathing quietly into his hands.

"Turns out that one-sided feelings can't compare to feelings that are returned to you."

Law made a noise in the back of his throat. Ace made a motion with his head and Law stood, moved across the space between them, and slid into Ace's arms. Ace held Law gently, running his fingers through the other man's short, dark hair. Ace looked at Sanji, smiling softly.

"Law is my life now. I could never let him go."

Sanji swayed on his feet. "I… oh my God, that's great." He closed his eyes and smiled. "You don't love me anymore…"

His knees buckled, but Law caught him. "Sanji!" he cried.

Sanji put his arms around Law and laughed. "Oh my God… I feel like something horrible just climbed off my back."

"You know what you have to do now…" Law smiled into his shoulder.

Sanji nodded. "Yeah… Holy shit, I can breathe…"

Law pulled away from Sanji and took Ace by the hand. "Babe, we need to go."

"What?" Ace's voice was high. "But I just found out! I wanna talk to him some more!"

Law shook his head. "Sanji has another important conversation he needs to have." He inclined his head in Zoro's direction.

Ace looked at the swordsman and his eye's got big again. "Oh?" He looked back at Law, understanding sweeping over him. "Oh…"

Law pulled Ace close and slid his arms around the larger man's neck, "I think you and I need some alone time after all this drama anyway."

Ace nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, we do." He turned to Sanji. "We'll talk tomorrow then, okay?"

Sanji nodded, the smile still on his face. "I'll call you."

The two waved to each other, and Sanji and Law shared a meaningful look. As Ace headed towards the stairs, Law turned to Zoro and motioned to Sanji with a tilt of his head.

"You take care of him."

Zoro stood slowly, watching as Law and Ace exited the front doors. He held the railing in one hand, his grip tight as if he was worried he might fall over. Everything had happened so fast. Where were they now? Was Sanji okay?

He turned to the cook who was watching him with a careful expression. Their eyes met and held for several long moments. Zoro's stomach was still in knots, his chest was still tight, but there was something else. His spirit was somehow lighter. He felt the presence of Sanji's burden lifted, and that weight no longer stood between them.

"I don't know what to say," Zoro murmured.

Sanji shrugged. "'Congratulations'… Maybe, 'fucking took you long enough'."

Zoro shook his head. "I shouldn't be congratulating you when the guy you love just left with someone else. I don't care how much you wanted him to."

Then, Sanji smiled. It was a real smile, a smile that brightened up each and every one of his features. It made his eyes sparkle. It lifted Zoro's soul just to see it. It looked so good on him that Zoro felt his knees go weak.

"I've…" the swordsman almost tripped over his words. "Wow... I've never seen you smile like that before."

"I haven't had a reason to," Sanji moved over the carpeted floor and met Zoro at the balcony.

"You have a reason to now?" Zoro asked.

Sanji nodded.

"And what is that?"

Sanji came close and put his hands in his pockets.

"You really are an idiot…"

Zoro made a face. "Thanks."

Sanji leaned forward and put his hands on the railing, one on each side of Zoro's waist. "I know I made it sound like I was in love with Ace, but I didn't mean to."

The earth tilted and all Zoro could do was blink. "Huh?"

"I tried so hard to keep my distance from you," Sanji murmured. His voice dropping to that low and raspy baritone Zoro remembered from their first night together. "But you gave me this job. You were so nice to me. You were something that I could maybe have if I really wanted, but I couldn't betray Ace more than I already had."

Zoro's already traumatized heart started to pound again, slow and hard against his ribcage.

"From the first moment I saw you," Sanji continued, "from that first instant that we locked eyes at the club, I haven't been able to think about anything else but you."

Zoro's breath was shallow as he listened, as if his lungs and shrunk.

Sanji moved closer. "I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I've never wanted to touch anyone so much, never wanted to kiss anyone so much. I tried to convince myself so many times that it was fine, I should just go for it. We could fuck in your apartment after work and no one would ever know. We could have this secret affair. Just add it to everything else that I was keeping from everyone."

Zoro wet his lips, his breath coming fast and uncontrolled. "But… you're a better person than that."

Sanji nodded. "I could never do that. I could never use the guy I'm in love with like a toy."

Arousal welled up inside Zoro so strong, he was suddenly light-headed. He reached out and took Sanji by the arms, pulling the blond against him and simultaneously backing them up towards the stairs.

"You've been driving me fucking crazy," Zoro growled.

Sanji came close and panted against Zoro's mouth.

"I know."

Zoro guided Sanji up the stairs backwards, pushed him through the fire escape door.

"Ever since that night all I've wanted to do is shove my cock down your throat." He snarled against Sanji's lips. "I have fucking _dreams_about your mouth. I plan my God damn days around when I can see you and watch you suck on a cigarette."

Clothes were already coming off. Sanji's jacket and Zoro's belt were tossed away on the stairs, and the two barely made it into Zoro's apartment before they shed their shoes.

Sanji slid his hands up Zoro's chest, pulling the swordsman's shirt over his head. "For the last few weeks, I've been wishing that you would just force yourself on me, that you'd just take me against one of the walls in the kitchen, or crawl on top of me when I was working on meal plans. Just hold me down and slide yourself down on my dick. If you had done that, I could have justified it."

Zoro yanked Sanji's belt off. "Stop talking."

It was frantic. Animalistic. Zoro was sure he had ripped Sanji's jeans in his attempts to pull them off the cook's long legs. His own clothes were somewhere on the floor. Now the blond was on top of him, his lips were trailing down his neck, his hands were smoothing over the scar on his chest. Fingers were on his cock. Sanji's strong, skilled hands were working him fast and steady. When the cook's lips trailed down his stomach, the swordsman realized where Sanji was headed and he groaned softly. He slipped his own fingers through soft, golden hair and arched hard when the cook's mouth engulfed him.

"Ah…" he squeezed his eyes shut and bucked his hips. "Oh, fuck…"

Sanji hummed. The press of his tongue, the slid of his lips, the feel of his hands on Zoro's shaft, pumping and sucking and oh… oh… _oh, it was so good!_

"Sanji…" he growled, "Sanji, I'm gonna come. Wait… ah, wait…"

But Sanji did not let up. He pressed a hand down on Zoro's stomach to keep him down, and deep throated as much of Zoro's length as he could. The cook's throat muscles contracted around him, practically tearing the orgasm from Zoro's body. The swordsman let out a guttural cry, releasing into Sanji's mouth. The blond drank him down, taking everything Zoro gave him, and then greedily ran his tongue over his length and the skin around his groin.

"Shit…" Zoro panted as Sanji made his way back to his collar, his throat. He felt drunk. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Mmm," Sanji kissed the pulse threading hard beneath Zoro's jaw. "Bananas…"

Zoro chuckled and raised his arms to run his hands down Sanji's sides. The cook was shaking, but this time, Zoro was sure it was from excitement.

"What's your recovery time?" Sanji asked as he kissed Zoro's forehead. "How long do I have to wait before you can fuck me?"

Zoro grinned and lifted a hand to search beneath his pillow. "A couple minutes." He found the bottle of lube and handed it to Sanji.

"But you don't have to wait…"

Sanji eyed the bottle, and then looked up into Zoro's eyes.

"Really?"

Zoro nodded. "Really. If it's you, it's okay."

Sanji stared at him for a moment, but then set the bottle on the bed and lowered his head to kiss Zoro's lips. He gently spread Zoro's legs and kneeled between them. He slid his hands up the swordsman's thighs and groaned softly when Zoro's arms came around his waist.

"You want me to wear a condom?" he asked.

Zoro shook his head. "No."

Sanji kissed him again, a slow, tender kiss that had the base of Zoro's spine tingling. He watched as Sanji rose up, took the bottle of lube, and stoked himself slick. He liked the blond's cock. It was thick and heavy, curved into a nice pink tip. It was a little bigger than the dildo Zoro sometimes used on himself, but he was sure it wouldn't matter. Sanji got him so hot there was no way he wouldn't turn to putty the moment their bodies connected.

Sanji leaned over him, and slipped one arm underneath one of his thighs.

"You realize I've never done this before…"

Zoro smiled. "You've never fucked anyone before?"

Sanji chuckled and kissed Zoro's lips again. "Never a man… like this."

Zoro reached down and took Sanji's slicked length in his hand. "What about the other way?"

"Hm?"

"Have you been with anyone else… since me?" Zoro felt strange asking, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted to know.

Sanji shook his head.

"No. You're the only one."

Zoro breathed deep, relieved, and feeling stupid for it. "That's good, 'cause no one's ever fucked me before."

Sanji stared at him with wide eyes. Zoro smiled at the reaction and pulled him closer. The cook slipped his knees underneath Zoro's thighs, and pressed forward as the swordsman guided him in. Zoro's mouth fell open and his eyes rolled back at the sting and the pressure of Sanji's length sliding inside. It was different than the toys. It was warm, and the feeling of having a body against him, of having Sanji's shaking breath against his cheek, made it so amazing that Zoro couldn't even think.

"Oh God…" Sanji breathed. "Oh my fucking God…"

Zoro raised his other leg and wrapped it around Sanji's thigh. He brought his hips up, meeting Sanji's, causing the cook to groan again and tighten his grip on Zoro's leg. Sanji gave one experimental thrust, and Zoro was lost.

Sanji's hips were so strong they propelled Zoro up the bed. The sheets twisted beneath them, and when Zoro reached up, he found he could press against the headboard. The swordsman knew he was going to have bruises the next day, but he didn't care. He was so far gone that nothing else in the whole world mattered at that moment.

As Sanji rocked into him, Zoro heard himself crying out. It was a vulgar sound unlike anything that had ever passed his lips before. He clenched his jaw around it, trying to bite back the noise, pulling from the discipline he had created for himself and maintained for so long.

But then Sanji's voice was in his ear.

"Don't hold it in," he hummed. "I wanna hear you lose it."

Zoro refused and clamped his jaw shut harder. Sanji rose up, resting on his knees, and slid his hands up Zoro's thighs. His hips rolled, and Zoro was transfixed by the body that now ravished him. Sanji's form was like the Adonis, much leaner than his own, but packed with muscle and contained the grace of a master martial artist. Every thrust of the cook's hips brought out the definition in his stomach. Every pull of his arms showed the tone of his shoulders and chest. The moonlight played across Sanji's sweaty skin and made it shine.

Zoro's hands twisted in the sheets. The tension in his body started to peak, to coil tightly in his loins. "Sanji…" he gasped. He wanted to tell the cook how beautiful he was, but he couldn't make himself speak.

"Ah…" Sanji's movements sped up, his grip became tighter. "Shit… oh… oh _fuck, Zoro…_"

Zoro arched again, his second orgasm tightening, clambering to be released. He opened his mouth to let out a cry he had been too proud to let go. The sound that erupted from his throat was something so primal that Zoro didn't recognize it.

Sanji's hand was on his cock, pumping him fast and hard along with the steady thrust of his hips.

"Oh hell yeah," the cook growled. "Come on, baby. Come on…"

When Sanji bore down, and Zoro felt him pulsing deep inside his body, the swordsman came again. His second orgasm washed over him like the thunder of applause in the world's grandest theater. He seized, he threw his head back. He roared as thin ropes of come splashed across his chest and over Sanji's hand. The cook was cursing into his neck, pounding into him so hard it lifted his body from the bed.

And then his movements slowed, Sanji's body tensed and then relaxed. The two lay still for several minutes, floating in a haze and trying to catch their breath.

"Holy shit…" Zoro panted when he could finally speak again.

"Yeah," Sanji mumbled into his throat. "That was months' worth. Don't expect that again next time."

"I wouldn't live through it," Zoro smiled.

Sanji slowly lifted himself off of Zoro and separated their bodies gently. He leaned over the side of the bed and rifled through the pockets of his jeans. He pulled out his cigarette pack and lighter, and crawled back up to flop down next to Zoro.

"Thanks for not throwing my pants across the room," Sanji said as he lit up.

Zoro rolled to his side, wincing at a tender twinge. "I can't take credit, I wasn't paying attention."

Sanji smiled and took a long drag, propping himself up on an elbow. "I make your head spin?"

Zoro smiled back. "Yeah."

Sanji chuckled and scooted closer. He ran a hand over Zoro's scar and a peaceful, contemplative look came over his face.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll wake you up and we'll fuck. Then I'll make you breakfast."

Zoro's eyes slid closed. "Sounds like heaven."

He heard Sanji chuckle again and felt the cook's lips on his forehead. "While we eat, you'll tell me about this scar?"

Zoro reached out and ran his fingers over the sharp angle of Sanji's hip. He felt trepidation at the thought of baring his most unflattering memory to the cook, but he also wanted to open himself up to Sanji in a way he never had before.

The swordsman pulled himself close and kissed up Sanji's neck. "Okay," he whispered. "I'll tell you everything."

He felt Sanji smile into his hair.

"No secrets?"

Zoro smiled as well, holding the cook close to him.

"Yeah, no secrets."

**END**


End file.
